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Capture  of  the  White  Elephant.        Page  304. 


Tin 


WHITE   ELEPHANT 


THE  HUNTERS  OF  AVA 


AND 


THE  KING  OF  THE  GOLDEN  FOOT. 


BY 


WILLIAM  D  ALTON, 

AUTHOR  OF   "THE  WAR  TIGER,"    "TUB   WOLF-BOY   OF  CHINA,"   ETC. 


W&fy  Illustrations  bg  paragon  Mm. 


NEW   YORK: 
"W.   A..   TOWNSEND    &    C  O  ]YE  P  A.  :N"5T , 

4G   WALKER   STREET. 

1860. 


A  FEW  WORDS  WITH  MY  READERS. 


While  reserving  as  my  own  secret  the  means  by 
■which  I  became  possessed  of  Harry  Oliver's  autobi- 
ography, I  deem  it  my  bounden  duty  to  the  kind 
friends  who  so  warmly  received  The  "War  Tiger 
and  The  Wolf-Boy  of  China,  to  impress  upon  their 
minds  that  Harry's  description  of  notable  persons, 
places,  animals,  plants,  as  well  as  the  manners,  cus- 
toms, and  superstitions  of  the  semi-barbarous  Bur- 
mans,  is  substantially  exact,  as  I  myself  have  verified, 
by  reference  to  the  accounts  given  by  ancient  and 
modern  travelers,  among  whom,  for  the  reader's 
satisfaction  or  consultation,  I  may  name,  the  old 
merchant  Ralph  Fitch,  the  envoys  Symes,  Crawford, 
and  Yule,  the  missionaries  Saggermano  and  Judson, 
and  the  British  officers  Cox  and  Snodgrass. 

William  Dalton. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGH 

I.  My  Parentage  and  E ably  Adventures 

IL  My  First  Real  Trouble 28 

III.  I  Get  an  Insight  into  Burmese  Law,  and  am  Put  in  the 

Stocks 89 

IV.  Our  Liyes  Saved  by  a  Cannon-Ball 52 

V.  I  Witness  A  Terrible    Scene,  and  Am  Made  a  Pagoda 

Prisoner 63 

VI.  I  am  Chased  by  a  Serpent,  and  Taken  by  the  Enemt 75 

VIL  Wherein  I  am  nearly  Bitten  to  Death,  and  Witness  the 

Punishment  of  a  Serpent  by  a  Monkey 88 

VIII.  A  Sad  Story — Antelope  Slaying — A  Hermit's  Cave 104 

IX  The  Nine  Princesses  op  the  Silver  Mountain 117 

X.  Chased  by  a  Crocodile. 129 

XL  I  Hear  the  Story  of  a  Despot,  and  Have  an  Adventure 

With  Some  Queer  Fish 137 

XII.  I  Have  a  Misunderstanding  With  Some  Buffaloes 146 

XIIL  The  WniTE  Ants  Cause  Naon  to  Meet  With  a  Disaster.  . . .  155 

XIV.  A  Fight  With  a  Tiger  163 

XV.  A   Wild   Beast   Combat  —  We   Seek   Shelter   From   the 

Monsoon ISO 

XVI.  We  Are  Seized  By  the  Enemy,  But  Rescued  By  Mtkee. 196 

XVII.  A  Rhinoceros  Hunt 211 

XVIII.  Mikee  Has  His  Fortune  Told  by  The  Crows,  and  Under- 
goes the  Ordeal  of  Water 222 

XIX.  A  Duel  Between  a  Crocodile  and  a  Tiger 261 

XX.  A  Wonderful  Cave,  and  a  Brahmin  Astrologer 241 


6  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 


TAGS 


XXI.  Mitcee  Obtains  News  From  tiie  Nats  About  a  White  ELE- 
PHANT     -°* 

XXII.  I  Narrowly  Escape  Falling  Into  the  Lion's  Mouth 264 

XXIII.  Mikee- Proves  Himself  a  Good  Judwe  of  Elephants 273 

XXIV.  A  Herd  of  Wild  Elephants 2SD 

XXV.  We  Catch  a  Lord  White  Elephant 302 

XXVI.  I  am  Sent  as  Ambassador  from  the  Lord  White  Elephant.  309 

XXVII.  L  Visit  the  Earth-Oil  Wells,  and  Witness  a  Festival 31 G 

XXVIII.  I  iiave  an  Adventure  with  a  King  whom  I  Find  Apickback  363 
XXIX.  An  Elephant  Fight,  and  an  Audience  of  the  Golden  Foot  340 

XXX.  Ax  Interview  With  the  Golden  Foot— A  Surprise 851 

XXXL  Ax  Enemy  Destroyed  and  a  Friend  Eecovrred 3CG 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES. 

My  name  is  Oliver,  Harry  Oliver ;  I  was  born  in 
Rangoon,  the  chief  sea-port  of  the  Bnrman  Empire, 
■which,  until  the  English  annexed  the  great  provinces 
of  Arracan,  Chittagong,  Assam,  and  the  kingdom  of 
Pegu  (no  small  portion,  you  will  find,  if  you  glance 
at  the  map  of  Asia),  was  the  largest  and  most  war- 
like of  those  nations  which,  although  from  being 
geographically  situated  between  India  and  China, 
are  known  as  Indo-Chinese  kingdoms,  are  in  fact 
near  akin  to  the  great  Malayan  race  which  originally 
peopled  the  greater  portion  of  the  lands  in,  and  bor- 
dering, the  mighty  Pacific  Ocean. 

My  father,  who  for  many  years  before  my  birth 
had  been  settled  in  Rangoon  as  a  merchant,  had  by 
his  large  dealing  in  teak  timber  and  the  petroleum,  or 
natural  earth-oil  of  the  country,  not  only  realized  a 
considerable  property,  but  by  his  honest  dealings  and 
kindly  manners  acquired  the  respect  of  his  fellow 
merchants  and  the  regard  of  the  King's  brother,  the 
Prince  of  Prome,  who,  as  lord,  or  what  the  Burmese 


8  THE   WHITE   ELEPHAKT. 

call  "  eater,"  of  the  largest  teak  forest,  was  the  great- 
est timber  merchant  in  the  empire.  As  the  prince 
resided  chiefly  at  Ava,  the  capital,  my  father  fre- 
quently visited  his  highness,  with  the  double  purpose 
of  business  and  pleasure — namely,  buying  the  before- 
mentioned  productions,  and  hunting  tigers  and  ele- 
phants in  the  wild  country  to  the  west  of  the  capital. 

The  Burmese  are  one  of  the  most  warlike  of  Asiatic 
nations,  and  for  centuries,  sO  successful  had  they 
been  in  conquering  neighboring  states  that  their  ar- 
rogance and  belief  in  their  invincibility  knew  no 
bounds ;  indeed,  jealous  of  the  English  power  in  In- 
dia (of  the  greatness  of  which  they  were  as  ignorant 
as  of  geography),  they  at  one  time  entertained  insane 
but  serious  notions  not  only  of  driving  them  from 
the  great  presidency  of  Bengal  (a  feat  popularly  sup- 
posed to  be  attended  with  no  great  difficulty),  but 
absolutely  of  marching  an  army  into  London,  although 
how  they  were  to  pass  across  the  ocean  to  the  white 
clifis  of  Old  England,  was  never  very  distinctly  laid 
down  by  the  courtiers  who  propounded  the  plan. 

One  of  the  kingdoms  with  which  the  "Golden 
Foot,"  as  the  King  of  Ava  is  termed,  was  at  war, 
some  years  prior  to  the  first  war  with  the  English, 
was  Laos,  a  country  situate  between  Burma  and  Siam. 
At  the  time  when  the  contest  between  the  Burmese 
and  the  Laosians  was  at  its  greatest  height,  my  father 
happened  to  be  paying  a  visit  to  the  Prince  of  Prome 
at  Ava.  A  party  of  Burmese  soldiers  succeeded  in 
plundering  one  of  the  chief  towns  of  the  enemy,  and 
brought  many  prisoners  to  the  capital.     Among  these 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES.    9 

was  a  Laosian  lady,  whom  my  father  purchased  from 
her  captors  and  married. — That  lady  was  my  mother. 

Such  being  my  birth,  you  will  not  be  astonished  at 
finding  the  ease  with  which  I  made  myself  at  homo 
among  the  semi-barbarous  Burmans,  or  took  to  an 
adventurous  career,  for  you  know  "  what  is  bred  in 
the  bone  will  not  come  out  of  the  flesh."  Neither 
must  you  be  surprised  at  the  adventures  themselves ; 
for  truly,  I- can  verify  of  my  own  knowledge  that  not 
only  are  there  many  lands  and  peoples  of  which  our 
all  knowing  countrymen  are  yet  ignorant,  but  that 
every  day  strange  adventures  happen  in  various  parts 
of  the  world  to  persons  who  having  neither  time,  in- 
clination, nor  taste  to  record  them  in  book  shape,  a 
vast  amount  of  entertainment,  experience,  and  instruc- 
tion becomes  lost  to  the  world. 

As  my  father  was  determined  that  his  son  should 
grow  up  with  the  muscles  and  mind  of  an  English- 
man, and  far  from  the  temptations  and  bad  influence 
of  Rangoon  (which  town  is  to  China  and  Siam  what 
Boulogne  is  to  England — namely  the  rendezvous  or 
depot  for  insolvent  debtors  who  have  run  away  from 
their  creditors),  he  sent  me  to  London,  consigned  to 
the  care  of  his  only  parent,  my  grandmother ;  not, 
however,  without  a  great,  though  loving  battle,  with 
my  mother,  who,  at  length  gave  her  sanction  to  my 
departure,  provisionally,  that  my  native  nurse  should 
accompany  me  to  England. 

Matters  being  thus  arranged,  the  nurse  was  smug- 
gled on  board  the  ship  in  a  large  earthenware  jar,  for  it 
is  against  the  law  for  a  native  woman  to  leave  the  coun- 


10  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

try ;  I  followed,  and  after  a  rough  and  very  long  pas- 
sage— for  steamships  were  then  unknown — my  nurse 
and  myself  were  carefully  packed  in  an  old  hackney- 
coach  which  stood  in  readiness  in  the  East  India 
Docks,  and  we  were  shortly  afterward  delivered  over 
to  the  charge  of  my  grandmother. 

Now  although  it  may  seem  disrespectful  on  my 
part,  I  cannot  but  believe  that  my  troubles  dated 
from  the  time  of  my  arrival ;  for  so  great  was  my 
aged  relative's  dislike  to  foreigners,  all  of  whom  she 
thought  to  be  created  for  the  especial  annoyance  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Bull,  and  to  "  that  nasty  negro- 
woman,"  as  she  persisted  in  calling  my  blotting-papei'- 
tinted,but  good-natured  nurse,  that  to  the  time  of  my 
being  sent  "  out  of  her  way"  (for  that  was  the  term 
she  used  for  sending  me  to  boarding-school),  a  day 
never  passed  without  her  giving  me  a  good  snubbing ; 
indeed,  although  I  am  bound  to  admit,  it  might 
have  been  in  consequence  of  my  undutiful  and  wild 
(for  you  will  keep  hi  memory  that  by  birth  I  am  half 
a  savage)  behavior,  I  never  felt  happy  with  my 
grandmother.  One  reason  was,  perhaps,  that  she 
persisted  in  calling  my  dear  mother  a  black  woman, 
although  but  for  the  peculiar  twist  of  her  short  nose, 
and  the  tone  of  her  voice,  which  made  me  understand 
that  she  intended  it  as  an  opprobrious  epithet,  I 
could  not  for  the  life  of  me  comprehend  why  a  black 
woman  should  not  be  as  good  as  a  white  woman. 

As,  however,  you  will  care  less  to  hear  of  my 
childhood  than  the  adventures  of  my  youth,  which  it 
is  my  purpose  to  relate,  I  will  simply  inform  you 


MY   PARENTAGE    AND    EAIILY   ADVENTURES.       11 

that  the  few  years  passed  in  England  were  the  most 
unhappy  of  my  life ;  therefore  you  may  imagine  my 
delight  when,  on  the  very  day  I  completed  my  thir- 
teenth year,  the  day  after  the  "  break-up"  of  the  last 
half  at  "Marathon  House,"  Fnlham,  I  received  a 
letter  from  my  father,  ordering  me  to  return  to  Ran- 
goon by  the  first  outward-bound  ship. 

Oh,  how  my  heart  bounded!  It  was  the  first 
"break-up"  that  I  really  enjoyed.  How  jolly  I  was 
when  I  made  one  of  the  fourth  coach-load  of  boys 
going  home  for  the  holidays  ! 

"  Farewell  hedges !    Farewell  ditches  1 
Farewell  all  the  Fulham  witches !" 

still  rings  in  my  ears,  as  on  that  cold  winter's  day, 
when  these  lines,  which  tradition  stated  to  have  been 
composed  as  a  half-yearly  anthem  by  some  former 
head  of  the  first  form,  were  poured  forth  from  the 
throats  of  my  homeward  bound  schoolmates. 

Then  the  bustle  of  preparation  for  my  voyage — 
the  tedious  three  months  to  wait  before  I  could  get  a 
ship.  Then,  when  the  day  came  for  my  departure, 
and  the  old  hackney-coach  that  was  to  carry  me,  my 
old  nurse,  and  the  baggage  to  the  dock,  stood  at  the 
door,  how  my  heart  leaped  for  joy — indeed  I  almost 
loved  my  cross  old  grandmother — God  bless>  the  old 
lady's  memory,  for  after  all,  perhaps  it  was  her 
rheumatism  that  made  her  so  queer-tempered. 

Once  on  board,  and  the  white  cliffs  of  England 
fading  from  my  sight,  my  whole  mind  was  bent  for- 
ward, thousands  of  miles  across  the  great  ocean  to 


12  THE   WHITE   ELEITJAKT. 

my  father  and  mother's  home,  and  for  months  my 
mind  was  thus  stretched  with  anxiety,  for  in  those 
days  a  voyage  to  the  East  was  long  and  dangerous 
enough  to  form  an  epoch  in  a  life. 

Tedious  as  our  voyage  would  have  "been  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  it  was  rendered  doubly  so, 
as  when  the  ship  arrived  off  Madras,  the  captain  was 
induced  to  convey  a  large  quantity  of  stores  to  the 
Great  Andaman,  an  island,  which  at  that  time,  had 
not  been  many  years  chosen  as  a  settlement,  or  penal 
colony,  to  which  to  send  convicts  from  Bengal.  By 
the  way,  you  may  remember  that  this  island  was 
originally  chosen  as  the  place  of  banishment  of  the 
last  of  the  Great  Moguls,  the  aged  king  of  Delhi,  but 
who  has  since  been  transported  to  the  opposite  coast 
of  Rangoon. 

Having  shipped  the  stores,  we  again  set  sail,  and 
in  five  days  sighted  the  Great  and  Little  Cocoa 
Islands,  two  small  tracts  of  land  which,  although 
abounding  with  luxuriant  cocoa  trees,  are  so  fiat  and 
swampy  and  destitute  of  fresh  water,  that  they  arc 
uninhabited.  Once,  indeed,  some  adventurers  settled 
upon  one  of  the  islands  with  the  hope  of  making  a  for- 
tune by  expressing  oil  from  the  cocoa-nut ;  but  the 
scheme  was  rendered  abortive  by  the  climate,  which 
speedily  destroyed  one  half  of  the  party,  and  drove 
the  remainder  from  the  island  in  despair. 

Passing  between  the  southernmost  Cocoa  and  the 
north  side  of  the  Great  Andaman,  the  captain,  who 
had  never  before  touched  at  the  latter  islands,  kept  a 
sharp  look-out  for  the  harbor,  within  which,  upon  a 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES.   13: 

small  island,  is  situated  the  British  settlement  of  Port 
Conrwallis. 

The  next  day,  late  in  the  afternoon,  we  made  out 
an  opening  in  the  land,  when  the  captain,  notwith- 
standing it  was  not  laid  down  in  his  chart,  believing 
it  to  l>e  the  harbor,  sent  out  a  boat-party  of  six  Las- 
cars and  two  Europeans  to  make  soundings,  and  sur- 
vey the  opening.  Scarcely,  however,  had  the  party 
proceeded  half  a  mile  from  the  ship  than  a  north- 
east wind  set  in,  which  drove  them  forward  with 
fearful  velocity. 

"  That  boat  will  never  live  in  such  a  gale,"  said 
the  captain,  alarmed,  and  straining  his  eyes  toward 
the  littte  craft,  which,  however,  seemed  to  bear  up 
bravely  against  the  hurricane. 

"  Hurrah !  they  have  made  the  harbor,  if  harbor 
it  is,"  cried  the  mate. 

Suddenly  the  heavens  grew  dark  as  midnight ; 
every  object  more  than  fifty  yards  from  the  ship  be- 
came obscured  from  our  view,  so  nothing  could  be 
done  but  to  wait  patiently  the  return  of  the  boat 
party. 

Our  curiosity  was  not  to  be  gratified  that  night, 
for  as  hours  passed,  the  boat  remained  absent ;  that, 
however,  was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  so  great  was 
the  darkness,  and  so  strongly  did  the  wind  blow  in 
shore  that  no  boat  could  have  reached  the  ship.  All, 
then,  we  could  do  was  to  commiserate  the  poor  fel- 
lows for  the  long  night  they  would  pass  on  land,  at 
the  risk  of  being  overpowered  by  the  savage  natives, 
and  await  patiently  the  return  of  daylight. 


14  THE    WP1TE   ELEPIIAKT. 

But  imagine  the  consternation  of  all  on  board  the 
next  morning,  when,  although  the  winds  had  become 
hushed,  and  the  sky  clear — so  clear  that  we  could 
now  with  the  naked  eye  trace  the  whole  coast,  nay, 
even  the  summit  of  the  Saddle  Peak  Mountains,  the 
dense  forests,  and  moreover  the  small  dark  figures  of 
the  natives  clambering  among  the  rocks,  no  traces 
whatever  of  the  boat  or  her  crew  were  visible. 
Many  were  the  surmises  as  to  the  cause. 
"The  lubbers  have  deserted,"  said  one  sailor. 
"  They  have  been  dashed  through  some  narrow  chan- 
nel, and  carried  away  by  the  current,"  said  another. 

"  These  savage  Andamanners  are  cannibals ;  they 
eat  men  raw,"  said  the  mate. 

"  Yes,  without  cooking,  I've  heerd  say,"  put  in  the 
purser's  mate,  a  young  cockney  on  his  first  voyage. 

"The  savages  it  is,"  exclaimed  the  captain,  thought- 
fully; then  adding  to  the  mate,  "Man  a  boat,  Mr. 
Jones  ;  we  may  yet  be  in  time  to  save  the  poor  fel- 
lows." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  mate ;  and  in  a  minute 
or  so  a  boat  was  alongside  filled  with  a  dozen  men 
armed  with  cutlasses  and  pistols. 

This  was  the  first  occasion  of  my  spirit  taking  fire ; 
for  no  sooner  did  I  hear  this  order  than  gliding  down 
the  hatchways  into  my  berth,  I  snatched  up  a  double- 
barrelled  gun,  which  I  had  bought  as  a  present  for 
my  father,  and  had  learned  to  use  upon  the  voyage, 
and  running  up  to  the  captain,  said,  as  I  touched  my 
cap  after  the  fashion  of  the  two  midshipmen  on  board, 
"I  join,  sir." 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EAELY  ADVENTURES.   15 

"  Go  to  your  cabin,  sir,"  was  the  disagreeable  re- 

"  I  join,  sir,"  I  repeated,  for  my  blood  was  up. 

"  Take  this  lad  below,"  said  the  uncompromising 
captain,  as  he  went  forward. 

That  going  forward,  however,  was  my  opportu- 
nity; for  no  sooner  was  his  face  turned  from  me  than 
I  was  over  the  sides  and  in  the  boat,  which  was 
manned  and  awaiting  the  mate. 

"Blow  me  if  this  isn't  mutiny,"  said  Davis  the 
cockswain ;  but  as  he  laughed,  as  if  in  admiration  of 
my  boldness,  I  took  courage. 

"Let  me  lie  down  astern  till  Mr.  Jones  is  on 
board,"  said  I ;  and  the  sailors,  who  always  admire 
pluck,  made  way  for  me. 

Mr.  Jones  came  into  the  boat,  and  I  remained  in 
the  sternsheets  without  his  knowledge  till  we  had 
reached  within  half  a  mile  of  the  shore,  when  seeing 
it  crowded  with  natives,  whose  vociferations,  antics, 
and  the  bows,  spears,  and  other  primitive  weapons 
which  they  flourished  defiantly,  evinced  sufficient 
proof  of  their  hostile  intentions,  he  said,  "  Look  ahead, 
lads ;  the  varmint  mean  mischief" 

N"o  sooner  was  this  caution  delivered  than,  burn- 
ing with  indignation  at  the  sight  of  the  wretches  who 
I  believed  had  killed  and  eaten  the  boat's  crew,  I  was 
upon  my  knees  with  my  gun  hanging  over  the  side. 

"How  came  you  here,  you  young  rascal?"  ex- 
claimed the  mate,  with  an  accompaniment  that  made 
my  ears  tingle,  and  sent  me  full  length  in  the  bottom 
of  the  boat. 


1G  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

You  will  tliink  this  rather  a  disgraceful  commence- 
ment for  one  who  was  to  become  the  hero  of  many 
adventure's ;  but  in  justification  of  Mr.  Jones,  I  am 
bound  to  admit  that  I  fully  merited  the  punishment, 
for  by  an  accident  had  my  piece  discharged,  it  would 
have  brought  our  expedition  to  a  premature  termina- 
tion. 

As  it  was,  by  judiciously  hiding  the  arms,  and  the 
waving  of  handkerchiefs  as  we  reached  the  shore,  the 
natives  sufficiently  understood  our  pacific  intentions 
to  so  far  alter  their  warlike  attitude,  that  we  hoped 
to  effect  a  landing  without  molestation — a  hope,  how- 
ever, that  became  a  little  dimmed  when  upon  nearer 
view  we  saw  what  might  have  been  easily  mistaken 
for  a  tribe  from  Pandemonium. 

There,  stretching  almost  in  a  straight  line  along 
the  shore,  stood  some  four  or  five  hundred  bipeds;  they 
could  scarcely  be  likened  to  human  beings,  the  tallest 
of  whom  did  not  reach  five  feet,  perfectly  naked,  with 
skeleton  limbs,  large  protuberant  stomachs,  high 
shoulders,  great  unshapely  heads  covered  with  woolly 
hair,  dyed  with  red  ochre,  sooty  black  skins  plastered 
over  with  mud,  flat  noses,  thick  lips,  and  small  red 
eyes  which  glistened  over  their  famine-stricken  coun- 
tenances ;  moreover,  armed  with  small  bows  of  bam- 
boo and  strings  of  the  fibre  of  a  tree,  with  reed  ar- 
rows headed  with  fish-bone,  spears  of  heavy  wood 
sharply  pointed,  and  shields  made  of  bark;  all  of 
whom,  as  we  neared  the  shore,  we  could  hear  chatter- 
ing together  like  so  many  monkeys. 

"Rest  on  your  oars,  my  lads;  the  brutes  mean 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES.   17 

mischief,1'  said  the  mate,  as  he  saw  these  armed  sava- 
ges coming  down  to  the  water's  edge. 

"Let's  try  'em  with  this  here;  it's  pretty,"  said 
the  cockswain,  as  he  held  up  a  tobacco-box  of  shining 
brass. 

"  Or  a  knife,"  said  a  sailor. 

"Or  a  few  buttons,"  said  another;  each  as  he 
spoke  holding  the  article  above  his  head. 

"  Ay,  ay,  presents  it  is,  my  lads,"  said  the  mate, 
collecting  the  articles  named  and  leaping  ashore. 

The  hasty  step  Mr.  Jones  had  taken  was  an  impru- 
dent one ;  for  scarcely  had  his  feet  touched  the  shin- 
gles upon  the  beach  than  an  arrow  whistling  within 
an  inch  of  his  head  grazed  the  arm  of  a  sailor  behind, 
who  smarting  with  pain  and  indignation,  at  once  dis- 
charged his  musket  at  one  of  the  savages,  who  fell 
dead. 

The  mate  swore  terribly  at  the  sailor  for  his  im- 
prudence. As  for  myself,  I  trembled  for  the  conse- 
quences, now  war  had  been  declared,  and  we  were  in 
the  midst  of  hundreds  of  enraged  savages ;  indeed 
our  escape  was  miraculous.  The  scene  that  followed 
the  report  of  the  gun  and  the  death  of  the  savage,  I 
can  only  compare  to  the  sudden  death  from  a  fowling- 
piece  of  one  of  a  flock  of  young  rooks,  who  will 
hover  and  whirl  above  their  dead  companion  for  some 
time  in  consternation,  regardless  of  the  risk  of  losing 
their  own  lives. 

So  it  was  with  the  savages,  who  evidently  had 
never  before  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  for  at  the 
sound  they  placed  their  fingers  in  their  ears,  and  ap« 
2 


IS  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

peared  half  stunned ;  then  they  hovered  around  their 
fallen  companion  in  wonderment  at  so  singular  a 
death ;  but,  as  if  suddenly  comprehending  that  the 
man  who  could  have  killed  him  at  so  great  a  distance, 
and  by  means  of  a  loud  noise  and  a  puff  of  smoke, 
could  be  no  other  than  the  malignant  fiend  of  the 
storm,  in  whom  they  believed,  the  whole  tribe  took 
to  their  heels  and  fled  as  fast  as  their  legs  would 
carry  them  into  the  dense  forest  which  skirts  and 
partly  covers  the  mountains. 

"  It's  lucky  the  brutes  mistook  you  for  the  old  'un 
hisself,  or  that  ere  shot  o'  yours' d  cost  every  man 
Jack  on  us  the  number  of  his  mess,"  said  an  old 
sailor  to  the  man  who  had  fired  the  gun. 

"Mayhaps  because  there  isn't  enough  on  'em  they 
have  gone  to  fetch  some  of  their  relations  to  help 
'em,"  said  the  cockswain,  Davis. 

"  No,  no,  the  varmint  have  had  such  a  fright  with 
the  gun  they  wont  return  in  a  hurry,"  replied  the 
mate. 

"  Howsomdever,  we  had  better  look  pretty  sharp, 
sir,  as  they  may  get  over  the  novelty  of  the  thing." 

"  Right,  Davis ;  so  just  hold  on  with  half  a  dozen 
of  the  lads  while  we  search  yonder  bay — if  bay  it  is," 
said  the  mate. 

"Bay!"  said  Davis,  while  the  men  were  preparing 
to  follow.  "  To  my  thinking  the  skipper's  out  in  his 
reckoning,  for  as  far  as  I  can  make  out,  yonder  open- 
ing is  neither  a  harbor  or  a  bay,  but  just  a  creek." 

"You  are  right,  Davis;  it  is  neither,  and  it  is  a 
creek,"  replied  the  mate,  looking  through  his  glass 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES.   19 

at  the  opening  which,  as  far  as  we  could  make  out, 
appeared  to  be  about  a  mile  along  the  coast ;  adding 
"then  the  boat-party  must  have  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  these  black  devils.  So  forward,  my  lads  ;  as  for 
you,  youngster,  as  you  seem  fond  of  the  smell  of 
powder,  you  may  stay  with  the  boat,  or  follow,  as 
you  please." 

The  latter  being  addressed  to  me,  I  chose  to  go 
with  the  search-party.  In  all,  our  number  consisted 
of  six  well-armed  men,  for  I  counted  myself  as  a  man. 
We  proceeded  stealthily  along  the  shore,  keeping  a 
good  lookout  on  all  sides,  till  we  had  proceeded 
about  half  a  mile,  when,  as  the  land  abutted  out  to  a 
great  distance  into  the  sea,  and  the  mate  wanted  to 
make  a  short  cut  to  the  creek,  he  led  us  through  a 
dense  jungle.  Clearing  this  without  meeting  with 
any  other  obstruction  than  swarms  of  annoying  in- 
sects, rotting  trees,  deep  pools  of  pestilential  water, 
a  few  snakes,  and  now  and  then  a  stray  hog,  we 
came  to  a  clearing,  when  the  mate  cried  out, 

"  Keep  a  sharp  lookout,  my  lads.  Yonder  is  the 
lair  of  some  wild  beast." 

With  lingers  upon  triggers  we  approached  the 
place  pointed  out  by  the  mate.  It  was  not  very  in- 
geniously constructed,  even  for  the  work  of  a  wild 
animal ;  for  it  consisted  of  only  four  sticks  stuck  in 
the  ground,  fastened  at  the  top  and  crossed  trans- 
versely by  others,  the  whole  being  covered  with  leafy 
branches  of  the  palm-tree. 

"  This  ain't  the  lair  of  no  wild  beast,  but  the  hut 
of  one  of  them  savages,"  said  a  sailor,  as  we  crept 


20  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

stealthily  into  the  place,  adding  with  a  shudder,  as 
he  caught  sight  of  a  string  of  skulls  and  other  bones 
suspended  from  the  roof,  "  Lord  have  mercy  on  us ! 
The  devils  have  made  quick  work  with  our  mates. 
We  hadn't  need  look  any  further.  Lord  have  mercy 
upon  us !" 

"  Dick,  you  lubber,  these  are  the  bones  of  hogs 
and  turtles,"  said  the  mate ;  adding  "  however, 
this  hut  will  do  for  a  rendezvous,  so  hoist  a  rag 
that  we  can  all  see,  and  let  us  search  in  different  di- 
rections." 

Accordingly  several  handkerchiefs  were  tied  to- 
gether and  hoisted  upon  a  long  pole  from  the  top  of 
the  hut.  Two  men  were  left  in  charge  of  the  station 
two  others  proceeded  to  the  east,  while  the  mate  and 
myself  went  in  the  direction  of  the  creek,  in  search 
of  the  missing  crew ;  it  being  understood  that  the 
report  of  a  gim  should  be  the  signal  for  the  rallying 
together  again  of  our  whole  party. 

Beating  our  way  through  the  tall  jungle,  yet  keep- 
ing as  near  the  sea  as  possible,  we  continued  our 
journey  for  some  two  hours ;  and  so  wild  and  deso- 
late was  the  surrounding  scenery  that,  but  for  positive 
evidence  to  the  contrary,  we  should  have  concluded 
the  island  to  have  been  uninhabited.  At  length,  we 
reached  the  supposed  creek ;  it  proved,  however,  to 
be  a  channel,  which,  as  it  became  wider  as  it  ran  in- 
land and  stretched  beyond  our  vision,  we  felt  assured 
must  run  its  course  through  the  island.  This  was 
disheartening ;  still,  reluctant  to  give  up  all  hope  of 
finding  the   missing  party — who  might  be  resting, 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES.   21 

either  as  prisoners  or  guests,  in  some  savage  village 
yet  to  be  discovered — we  kept  our  course  along  the 
shore  of  the  channel.  As,  however,  we  were  mak- 
ing our  way  through  some  tall  bamboo-shoots,  the 
mate  called  out,  "Listen! — footsteps!  lie  down." 

Simultaneously  falling  upon  our  hands  and  knees, 
through  the  canes  we  saw  two  savages  approaching 
toward  the  channel :  they  were  young  women,  meagre 
and  half  famished  in  appearance,  with  baskets  of  a  rough 
kind  of  wickerwork  slung  across  their  backs,  and 
carrying  in  their  hands  short  spears.  Having  reached 
the  water's  edge  they  crouched  stealthily  like  cats, 
each  poising  her  spear  between  her  fingers,  to  which 
we  could  now  perceive  it  was  attached  by  a  fibrous 
string ;  thus  for  some  few  minutes  each  watched  the 
leaping  fish  with  gleaming  eyes,  and  awaited  the  op- 
portunity of  a  good  aim.  At  length  a  spear  was 
darted  forth,  and  a  fish  transfixed  as  it  jumped  from 
the  water;  and  when,  after  this  manner  they  had 
filled  their  baskets  with  a  day's  provision  for  their 
husbands  and  families,  with  lightened  steps,  and  eyes 
glistening  at  the  prospect  of  a  meal  (for  it  is  only  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year  that  these  poor  and  more 
than  half-starved  Andamaners  can  procure  even  the 
luxury  of  fish),  they  left  the  creek.  But  they  were 
hungered,  and  at  a  few  yards'  distance  stopped  to 
prepare  and  indulge  in  a  temporary  meal.  So  col- 
lecting some  dried  underwood,  and  having,  by  means 
of  a  flint  which  they  carried  with  them,  kindled  a 
fire,  the  fish  was  thrown  into  the  flames ;  but  before 
it  had  time  to  become  warmed  throughout,  the  fam- 


22  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

ished  creatures  snatched  them  out  again  and  began 
to  tear  them  with  their  claw-like  fingers. 

Their  evidently  long-looked-for  repast  was,  how- 
ever, suddenly  interrupted  by  a  dark-skinned  man, 
who,  darting  forth  from  behind  a  crag  of  rock,  with 
two  rapid  blows  from  a  thick  stick  stretched  the  poor 
creatures  upon  the  earth,  after  which  he  began  to 
unfasten  the  baskets  from  their  shoulders.  Need  I 
tell  you  my  felings  at  that  moment  ?  No — for  right 
or  wrong,  and  without  stopping  to  consider  the  pru- 
dence of  the  act,  I  discharged  my  gun,  when  the  fel- 
low giving  one  loud  yell,  fell  stretched  upon  the 
earth. 

As  for  the  mate,  although  he  swore  at  my  impru- 
dence, with  one  leap  he  bounded  toward  the  fallen 
coward.  At  the  moment  of  my  firing,  the  women 
were  about  crawling  upon  their  hands  and  feet,  as  if 
by  that  means  they  could  escape  their  enemy.  The 
report  of  the  gun,  however,  so  shocked  them  that 
they  fell  flat  upon  their  faces,  and  thrust  their  fingers 
into  then-  ears  as  if  it  had  been  the  shock  of  doom. 

"  Don't  let  them  escape,  youngster.  Let  them  see 
we  are  friends — show  them  their  fish,"  said  the 
mate. 

Snatching  up  the  basket  of  fish  I  ran  forward  to 
the  poor  creatures  and  held  it  forth,  making  signs  for 
them  to  take  it.  Recovering  from  the  shock  they 
arose  to  their  feet,  and  with  eager  staring  eyes  one 
ventured  to  approach  me,  held  out  her  hand,  then 
withdrew,  and  it  was  not  until  after  many  efforts  I 
could  satisfy  her  of  my  friendly  intentions.     Indeed, 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES   23 

I  believe  they  would  have  both  scampered  off  had 
they  not  been  convinced,  by  seeing  their  enemy  with 
his  arms  bound  by  a  neckerchief,  dragged  forward  by 
the  mate.  Perceiving  this,  however,  they  capered 
about  with  joy  and  gratitude,  uttering  sounds  more 
like  those  of  wild  beasts  than  any  thing  human. 

"  We  must  secure  these  women,  for  by  their  means 
we  may  discover  the  fate  of  the  boat-party,"  said  the 
mate. 

To  talk  about  securing  these  two  savages  was  one 
thing,  to  do  it  another.  Fortunately,  however,  the 
report  of  the  gun  had  alarmed  our  party,  whom  at 
that  moment  we  saw  coming  through  the  jungle.  At 
their  appearance  the  women  trembled  with  fear,  and 
would  have  escaped  but  for  two  words  the  prisoner 
spoke  to  them  in  their  own  language — if  such  mis- 
erable sounds  could  be  called  a  language — and  in 
another  minute  they  were  surrounded,  so  that  they 
could  not  escape. 

When  the  prisoner  saw  himself  surrounded  by  the 
English  sailors,  he  trembled  violently,  and  in  suppli- 
cating tones  addressed  the  mate  in  a  language  then 
unknown  to  me. 

"  Can  any  of  you  lads  make  out  this  fellow's  lingo?" 
said  the  mate.  _7* 

"Ay,  ay,  sir;  it  is  Hindoostanee.  "I've  picked 
up  enough  to  make  him  out,"  said  a  man  named 
Thompson,  who  had  been  many  years  in  the  Indian 
navy. 

"  Ask  him  who  he  is,  and  how  he  came  here  ?" 

Taking  time  to  remember  words  sufficient,  Thomp- 


24  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

son  put  the  question.     Then,  after  a  labored  attempt 
on  both  sides  to  comprehend  each  other,  he  said, — 

"He  says  he's  a  Sepoy,  from  Bengal,  unjustly 
transported  to  the  British  settlement,  from  which  he 
managed  to  escape  three  months  ago,  since  which  he 
has  been  wandering  about  the  jungle." 

"  Ask  him  how  far  we  are  from  the  settlement." 

"  Having  put  the  question,  Thompson  replied,  "  All 
I  can  make  out  is,  we  are  ten  miles  too  far  south." 

"Ask  him  if  he  knows  any  thing  of  the  boat- 
party." 

Thompson  obeyed;  the  man  gesticulated  vehe- 
mently. 

"  What  does  the  fellow  mean  by  all  those  antics  ?" 
said  the  mate. 

"  Nothing,  sir,  'cept  he  won't  open  his  jaws  any 
more  without  the  sahib  will  promise  not  to  give  him 
up  to  the  commander  of  the  settlement." 

"  Promise  him,  for  we  can't  remain  ashore  all 
night." 

Thompson  obeyed. 

"  Now,  what  says  he  ?"  added  the  mate. 

"  "Why,  sir,  that  he  seed  the  party  enter  the  open- 
ing of  the  channel ;  and  that  when  they  entered,  the 
gale  blew  so  that  the  current  must  have  swept  them 
through  the  passage," 

"It  is  what  I  feared,"  said  the  mate:  adding  "ask 
him  whether  it  isn't  likely  the  savages  may  have  fal- 
len upon  them,  and  that  they  are  hidden  somewhere 
on  this  island." 

Having  put  the  question,  Thompson  replied, 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES.   25 

"  All  I  can  make  out  of  the  nigger,  sir,  is,  that 
p'raps  they  are  and  p'raps  they  ain't ;  hut  them  two 
black  gals  is  the  wives  of  two  chiefs ;  and  so  he  says, 
if  you  takes  'em  on  hoard  you  can  keep  'em  thera 
till  you  find  out  by  dumb  motions,  when  you  can 
keep  one  on  board  and  send  t'other  ashore,  to  bar- 
gain for  giving  up  the  boat's  crew ;  that  is,  if  so  be 
that  the  savages  have  got  'em." 

"A  sensible  suggestion  it  is,"  said  the  mate. 
"Now  ask  the  rascal  why  he  attacked  these  two 
women." 

Having  again  put  the  question,  Thompson  said, 

"  He  says  he  has  been  many  days  without  food,  or 
the  means  of  procuring  it,  and  that  he  did  not  intend 
to  harm  the  women,  but  took  the  fish  and  spear  in 
order  to  support  himself  for  the  future." 

"Down  to  the  boat,  then,"  said  the  mate,  now 
convinced  nothing  more  could  be  done.  As  for  the 
women,  when,  in  order  to  prevent  their  escape,  we 
secured  their  arms,  you  cannot  imagine  their  piteous 
cries  ;  turning,  however,  a  deaf  ear  to  their  waitings 
we  hastened  to  the  boat,  and  having  embarked  our 
prisoners  were  soon  again  on  board  the  ship. 

When  the  mate  made  his  report,  the  captain, 
anxious  to  obtain  information  about  the  missing  crew, 
attempted  by  a  series  of  dumb  motions,  by  kindness, 
by  offers  of  fish  and  other  food,  and  the  aid  of  the 
Sepoy,  to  obtain  some  information  from  the  two 
women  about  his  missing  men.  Whether  from  fear 
or  obstinacy  I  know  not,  but  that  night  they  continued 
dumb.      Hoping,  therefore,  better  things  the  next 


26  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

morning,  the  captain  appropriated  to  their  use  a  cabin 
next  his  own,  and  further  ordered  the  wife  of  the 
steward  to  supply  them  plentifully  with  fish  and 
cocoa-nut,  and  moreover,  to  stay  with  them  till  morn- 
ing. 

That  night,  as  you  may  imagine,  after  my  day's 
fatigue,  I  could  have  slept  without  turning  in  my 
"berth.     Before,  however,  the  morning,  there  was  a 
great  commotion  in  the  ship.     The  two  savages  had 
cunningly  watched  till  the  stewardess  was  asleep, 
when,  running  through  the  captain's  cabin,  at  one 
leap  through  the  stern  window  they  were  overboard, 
and  swimming  to  the  shore,  and  of  course,  as  no  person 
on  board  wished  to  harm  the  poor  creatures  by  firing 
shot,  it  was  the  last  we  saw  of  them ;  and  so  we  lost 
all  chance  of  hearing  of  our  lost  shipmates,  at  least 
till  some  time  after  reaching  Rangoon,  when  we  were 
shocked  to  hear  that  when  the  boat  entered  the  chan- 
nel the  violence  of  the  wind  and  the  strength  of  the 
current  swept  her  onward  into  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
where  eighteen  days  afterward  she  was  picked  up  by 
a  merchantman ;  and  it  was  discovered  that  two  of 
the  Lascars  had  been  killed  and  eaten  by  their  com- 
panions, an  incident  which,  for  the  sake  of  my  own 
veracity,  I  must  tell  you  is  recorded  in  sober  verita- 
ble history. 

The  next  day,  by  steering  to  the  southward,  we 
reached  Chatham  Island,  and  a  more  beautiful  spot  I 
have  never  since  seen.  The  scene  is  wild  and  incom- 
parably grand — the  harbor  is  one  vast  sheet  of  water, 
landlocked  upon  all  sides,   but   dotted  with   small 


MY  PARENTAGE  AND  EARLY  ADVENTURES.   27 

islands,  while  lofty  mountains,  clothed  with  impene- 
trable forests,  and  inhabited  by  none  but  monkeys, 
guanas,  and  many  of  the  other  animals  common  to 
tropical  forests. 

At  this  settlement  we  were  so  hospitably  received 
by  the  authorities  that,  having  delivered  the  stores, 
it  was  with  considerable  regret  we  set  sail  for  Ran- 
goon, at  which  city  we  arrived  after  a  rough  voyage 
of  seven  days. 


28  THE   WHITE   ELEPHA3TT, 


CHAPTER  II. 

MY  FIRST  REAL  TROUBLE. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  sensation  of  pleasure  I 
felt  as  our  gallant  ship  anchored  in  Rangoon  road- 
stead. I  was  about  to  rejoin  my  parents ;  my  heart 
bounded  with  delight.  Would  they  be  surprised  at 
my  manly  appeai'ance  ?  How  great  would  be  their 
joy !  Should  I  know  them ;  would  they  recognize 
their  son  ?  I  would  play  them  a  trick ;  for  when 
they  came  on  board,  as  I  felt  sure  they  would,  1 
would  gaze  at  them  and  await  their  recognition.  All 
this,  however,  was  very  foolish,  as  days  must  elapse 
before  my  eyes  could  rest  upon  them.  Those  days, 
however,  passed ;  but  oh,  how  painful  was  the  strain 
upon  my  patience ! 

It  was  night  when  we  entered  the  roads ;  lights 
were  visible  upon  the  beach.  The  next  morning  we 
could  see  the  long  streak  of  low  land,  but  it  was  sick- 
ening to  me  to  find  the  land  was  so  much  further  off 
than  it  had  appeared  the  previous  evening.  But  pa- 
tience; patience,  indeed,  for  our  captain  kept  us 
waiting  for  a  pilot  eight  days — now  standing  off,  now 
on,  the  shore,  making  short  tacks  in  the  daytime,  and 
again  anchoring  during  the  night,  and  all  uselessly, 
for  notwithstanding  our  signal  guns  and  colors,  none 
came  off. 


MY   FIEST   HEAL   TROUBLE.  29 

At  length  even  the  captain's  patience  overcame  his 
caution ;  the  wind  was  fair,  so  sending  a  hoat  ashore 
and  steering  by  landmarks,  we  dashed  across  the  sand 
bar  and  entered  the  Rangoon  river,  when  our  progress, 
although  slow,  was  sure. 

The  river  was  covered  with  boats,  some  like  those 
used  by  the  South  Sea  islanders — long,  narrow,  with 
elevated  stern  ornamented  with  peacocks'  feathers 
and  the  tails  of  Thibetan  cows,  affixed  to  long  flexible 
painted  poles  which  hung  from  the  stern,  and  was 
surmounted  by  a  golden  ball.  Others  with  sails  like 
balloons,  and  hulls  so  low  in  the  water  that  they  had 
the  appearance  of  so  many  giant  butterflies. 

Another  day,  and  Ave  had  answered  the  inquiries 
of  the  officials  of  the  Custom-house,  and  laid  the  ship 
alongside  the  wharf.  Then  how  my  hopes,  anxieties, 
and  fears  increased!  Neither  father  nor  mother 
were  awaiting  my  arrival ;  no  person  came  on  board 
making  anxious  inquiries.  Thinking,  dreaming,  ex- 
pecting, I  stood  looking  into  the  faces  of  the  crowd 
which  thronged  the  wharf  till  my  eyes  ached — nay, 
more,  became  damp  with  tears  of  bitterest  disappoint- 
ment. There  assembled,  were  people  of  all  nations — 
Burmans,  Peguers,  Chinese,  Armenians,  Siamese,  Por- 
tuguese, and  Englishmen;  tradesmen,  laborers,  mis- 
sionaries, and  merchants ;  but  among  them  all  not 
one  who  cared  one  jot  for  me  who  had  traveled  so 
many  thousands  of  miles  to  rejoin  all  I  loved  in  the 
world,  or  valued  me  at  the  price  of  a  bundle  of  the 
rattans  on  deck. 

I  sat  upon  a  coil  of  rope,  with  my  eyes  fixed  to  the 


30  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

shore,  unheeding  the  bustle  upon  deck,  as  melancholy, 
as  resignedly  as  if  I  had  been  the  sole  inhabitant  of 
a  drowning  world.  Suddenly  my  arm  was  clutched; 
the  words,  "My  poor  boy!"  fell  on  my  ears.  I 
started,  tears  of  joy  rolled  down  my  face — I  had  not, 
then,  been  forgotten — my  parent  stood  before  me. 
Upon  the  instant  I  thought — I  hoped  so.  One  glance, 
however ;  and  pushing  him  from  me,  I  exclaimed — 

"You  are  not  my  father;"  and  the  bitterness  of 
my  disappointment,  the  expression  of  my  features, 
brought  tears  into  the  eyes  of  the  stranger,  wdio  then 
kindly  taking  my  hands  between  his  own,  said — 

"  Be  calm,  listen ;  I  know  your  story,  my  poor  boy." 

"  My  parents !  tell  me  of  my  parents.  Why,  oh, 
why  are  they  not  here  ?"  I  said  passionately. 

"  Your  parents  are — " 

"  What !"  and  I  started  with  affright ;  for  a  flash 
of  light,  a  shock  like  that  from  a  galvanic  battery, 
shot  through  my  mind. 

"  They  are  in  a  better  world — dead,"  he  said  mourn- 
fully. 

"  Dead,  dead !"  I  exclaimed,  stupified,  but — Can  I 
paint  my  feelings  at  that  moment  ?  No,  it  is  impos- 
sible. I  threw  myself  upon  the  deck  and  sobbed  in 
impotent  sorrow. 

The  stranger  spoke  not  a  word  for  many  minutes. 
God  was  good  to  me,  for  with  a  deep  sensitiveness 
he  had  also  implanted  in  my  heart  a  feeling  of  resig- 
nation to  his  will.  I  recovered  my  presence  of  mind, 
and  forming  a  resolution  to  quit  that  hateful  country 
as  soon  as  possible,  in  silent  sorrow  permitted  the 


MY   FIRST   REAL   TROUBLE.  31 

stranger  to  lead  me  from  the  ship.  We  passed  through 
the  suburbs  to  the  inner  town  on  foot  to  his  house, 
where,  as  soon  as  the  first  outburstings  of  my  grief 
had  become  softened,  he  told  me  that  my  parents  had 
died  but  three  months  before  my  arrival — of  fever, 
in  Ava,  at  which  capital  they  had  been  some  time 
resident. 

"  Oh,  that  I  had  been  permitted  but  to  arrive  soon 
enough  to  soothe  their  last  moments,"  said  I. 

"It  would  indeed  have  been  a  consolation  to  them; 
while  to  you,  my  poor  boy,  it  would  have  been  for- 
tune." 

"  What  mean  you,  sir  ?"  I  said,  astonished  at  these 
words. 

"  Had  you  been  with  them  at  the  time  of  their 
death,  you  might  have  taken  quick  possession  of  your 
father's  property." 

"  My  father's  property,"  I  repeated,  not  under- 
standing why  I  could  not  take  possession  as  it 
was. 

"  It  has  been  seized  by  the  Myo-wun"  (governor  of 
the  town). 

"  Surely  this  cannot  be  possible ;  for  am  I  not  my 
father's  heir  ?" 

"  Unfortunately,  my  poor  boy,  any  thing  is  possi- 
ble in  this  barbarous  land  that  it  may  please  the  chiefs 
to  do." 

"  But  there  are  laws  even  here." 

"  True  ;  and  one  is,  that  the  property  of  any  for- 
eigner who  may  die  without  heirs  shall  immediately 
fall  to  the  King  of  Burma." 


32  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  But  my  father  did  not  die  without  an  heir.  Am 
I  not  living  ?" 

"  Your  father  was  rich,  my  poor  boy,  and  his 
riches  were  chiefly  accumulated  by  the  favor  of  his 
friend,  the  Prince  of  Prome ;  therefore,  no  sooner 
did  the  king  hear  of  his  death  than,  assuming  that 
you  were  not  in  existence,  he  ordered  the  Myo-wun 
to  seize  any  property  he  might  have  possessed  in  this 
country." 

"  But  you  say  his  majesty's  brother,  the  Prince  of 
Prome,  was  my  poor  father's  friend ;  if  so,  he  will 
not  permit  his  only  son  to  be  thus  plundered." 

"  It  is  a  poor  chance,  yet  your  only  one ;  for  death 
buries  friendship,  and  the  Prince  of  Prome  loves  gold ; 
still,  I  have  communicated  to  his  highness  your  exist- 
ence, and  as  a  friend  of  your  father's,  prayed  of  him 
to  restore  to  you  the  property." 

"  His  answer  ?"  I  asked,  impatiently. 

"  May  be  many  weeks  before  it  arrives  here,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Johnson  (for  that  was  the  name  of  my  new 
friend) ;  "  adding  "  In  the  meantime,  you  must  make 
my  house  your  own." 

Thus  was  I,  who  had  gone  out  from  England  with 
a  buoyant  heart,  great  hopes,  and  a  fair  prospect, 
left  suddenly  alone  in  the  world  in  a  far-distant 
country,  penniless,  and  dependent  upon  a  stranger 
for  my  daily  bread.  But  deeply  as  I  felt  Mr.  John- 
son's kindness,  and  gratefully  as  I  accepted  his  offer, 
I  at  the  same  time  was  of  far  too  independent,  and  I 
trust  honorable,  a  spirit,  not  to  offer  to  make  myself 
as  useful  to  him  as  possible  in  his  counting-house,  a 


MY   FIRST   EEAL   TROUBLE.  33 

return  which  he  gladly  accepted ;  and  so  I  soon  found 
myself  deep  in  the  mercantile  mysteries  of  the  natural 
products  of  the  empire — such  as  teak  timber,  carda- 
moms, indigo,  elephants'  teeth,  saffron  wood,  and  that 
petroleum  or  earth-oil  by  which  my  father  had  real- 
ized a  fortune. 

Day  by  day  I  awaited  to  hear  from  the  Prince  of 
Prome.  Messenger  after  messenger  was  sent  to  the 
capital  city  by  Mr.  Johnson,  but  without  obtaining 
any  thing  more  substantial  than  vague  promises. 
Thus  anxiously  passed  two  years ;  a  period  which  I 
did  not  permit  to  escape  without  assiduously  apply- 
ing myself  to  the  study  of  the  Burmese  language. 

As,  however,  this  town  in  which  I  passed  those 
anxious  twenty-four  months,  is,  I  believe,  something 
totally  different  from  any  town  you  have  either  visit- 
ed or  read  about,  I  will  endeavor  to  give  you  a  sketch 
of  its  peculiarities. 

Rangoon,  which  signifies  "peace  effected,"  and 
was  so  named  by  its  founder,  the  King  Alompra,  who 
built  the  city  in  memory  of  his  conquest  of  Pegu, 
which  till  his  time  was  an  independent  kingdom,  con- 
sists of  two  towns,  one  within  the  other,  situated 
twenty  miles  from  the  sea,  up  the  river  Syriam,  a 
branch  of  the  great  Irrawaddi  which  traverses  through 
the  entire  empire;  and,  rising  to  a  considerable 
height  above  water  level,  these  towns  are  compara- 
tively free  from  the  terrible  inundations  common  to 
other  Burman  cities  and  villages  during  the  rainy 
season. 

The  inner  town,  or  fort,  in  which  the  European 


34  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

merchants  and  natives  of  importance  had  their  resi- 
dences, was  encompassed  by  a  stockade ;  that  is,  a 
tall  bamboo  paling,  eighteen  feet  high,  which  was 
again  surrounded  by  a  deep  dirty  ditch.  Around 
the  inner  side  of  the  stockade  ran  a  platform  for 
musketeers,  upon  which  were  placed  twelve  miserable 
cannon.  To  give  you  a  notion  of  the  interior,  which 
was  then  populated  by  some  30,000  people,  I  must 
ask  you  to  picture  to  yourself  a  vast  city  of  human 
hutches,  made  of  bamboos,  and  erected  upon  posts 
three  feet  from,  the  ground,  with  pools  of  stagnant 
water  beneath,  but  regularly  arranged  in  nicely  paved 
streets,  intersected  by  gutters,  across  which  were 
thrown  planks  for  the  convenience  of  pedestrians.  A 
large  herd  of  pigs,  independent  and  ownerless,  which, 
but  that  they  acted  as  scavengers  by  devouring  the 
refuse  matter  beneath  the  city,  would  have  been  as 
insufferable  as  the  hundreds  of  ugly  little  yelping, 
barkincr  cur  doo's  which  ever  infest  the  streets  of  Ran- 
goon,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  merchant  who  may  be 
pursuing  his  affairs,  or  getting  between  the  legs,  to 
the  monstrous  disturbance  of  the  shaven-pated  priests, 
who,  wrapped  around  with  an  ample  yellow  sheet, 
with  a  fan  of  the  palm  leaf  in  one  hand,  and  a  large 
blue  lacquered  box  in  the  other,  perambulate  the 
streets,  with  eyes  turned  neither  to  the  right  nor  to 
the  left,  but  fixed  upon  the  ground,  to  gather  from 
the  venerating  multitude  the  daily  food  for  themselves 
and  their  brethren  of  the  Kioums,  or  monasteries — 
food,  by  the  way,  which  must  be  placed  in  the  box 
ready  cooked ;  for  the  lives  of  these  holy  personages 


MY   FIKST   KEAL   TROUBLE.  35 

being  given  up  to  abstract  speculations  upon  the 
divine  essence  of  their  god  Gaudama,  it  would  be 
regarded  as  an  impious  waste  of  time  for  them  to 
cook  with  their  own  hands. 

Then  imagine  a  would-be  civilized  population,  half- 
naked,  the  garments  of  the  higher  classes  consisting 
chiefly  of  a  double  piece  of  cloth  loosely  wrapped 
about  the  body,  a  slight  frock  with  sleeves,  and  a 
handkerchief  tied  around  the  brow  for  a  head-dress, 
with  bodies  tattooed  or  imprinted  with  lions,  tigers, 
monkeys,  hogs,  crows,  demons,  or  fabulous  animals — 
a  style  of  bodily  decoration  which,  although  pei'- 
formed  by  the  painful  operation  of  puncturing  the 
skin  with  a  needle  dipped  in  paint,  is,  notwithstand- 
ing, so  fashionable  that  many  of  the  professionals  in 
that  peculiar  line  of  art  obtain  large  sums  of  money 
for  their  services.  Then,  as  for  their  teeth  ("  although 
the  fashion  of  blackening  them  is  not  so  common  as 
in  former  ages),  they  are  invariably  of  a  sooty  hue 
from  their  constant  practice  of  chewing  the  areca,  or 
betel-nut. 

One  custom,  however,  which  struck  me  as  being 
comical  in  a  high  degree,  was  that  of  boring  in  the 
lobe  of  the  ear  a  large  hole,  in  which  (according  to 
an  individual's  wealth  or  position),  he  or  she  stuffs  a 
gold,  silver,  paper  gilt,  or  wooden  ornament ;  and 
invariably,  when  the  aperture  is  not  otherwise  oc- 
cupied, men,  women,  and  boys,  use  it  as  a  cigar- 
holder  ;  that  is,  suppose  they  are  interrupted  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  cigar,  they  as  instantly  clap  the  un- 
burned  portion  within  the  ear  as  a  butcher,  when 


36  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

making  use  of  both  his  bands,  places  his  knife  in  his 
month.  Then,  although  none  wear  shoes,  boots,  or 
stockings,  and  not  always  sandals,  few  are  to  be  seen 
without  the  tee,  or  umbrella,  the  color  and  material 
of  which  (white  being  exclusively  royal)  marks  the 
rank  or  office  in  every  class  of  society. 

Such  was  the  town  and  such  the  people  among 
whom  I  impatiently  and  anxiously  awaited  two  whole 
years.  As  I  have  said,  my  time  was  chiefly  occupied 
in  Mr.  Johnson's  business,  or  in  studying  the  language. 
Moreover,  at  our  house,  which  was  near  the  Ex- 
change, where  the  Europeans  assembled  in  the  cool 
of  the  morning,  and  also  to  the  Go-down,  or  Custom- 
house, Ave  were  seldom  without  society.  Then,  again, 
we  mixed  in  the  society  of  the  higher  class  natives ; 
indeed,  so  popular  at  one  time  was  Mr.  Johnson, 
that  we  had  the  entree  to  the  family  parties  of  the 
governor  himself — that  governor  who,  forgetful  that 
we  had  "eaten  his  salt,"  afterward  became  our  tyrant 
and  persecutor. 

The  first  of  those  parties  was  to  me  so  comical, 
and  will,  I  believe,  prove  so  interesting  to  you,  that 
I  will  relate  the  events  of  the  day. 

On  the  12th  of  April,  the  last  day  of  the  Burman 
year,  Mr.  Johnson  and  myself  were  invited  to  bear  a 
part  in  a  sport  that  is  universally  practiced  throughout 
the  Burman  dominions  on  the  concluding  day  of  their 
annual  cycle.  To  wash  away  the  impurities  of  the 
past,  and  commence  the  new  year  free  from  stain, 
the  women  on  this  day  are  accustomed  to  throw 
water  on  every  man  they  meet,  and  the  men  have 


MY   FIRST   KEAL   TROUBLE.  37 

the  privilege  of  retorting — a  licence  which,  as  you 
may  imagine,  gives  rise  to  a  great  deal  of  fun,  par- 
ticularly amongst  the  young  women,  who,  armed 
with  long  syringes  and  flagons,  endeavor  to  throw 
water  over  any  man  who  passes,  and  in  return  re- 
ceive the  water  with  perfect  good  humor.  But  you 
must  be  told  that  dirty  water  must  not  be  thrown, 
nor  must  a  man  or  boy  lay  his  hands  upon  a  woman 
or  girl ;  moreover,  if  a  woman  declines  to  take  part 
in  the  sport,  she  must  not  be  molested,  lor  it  is  taken 
for  granted  that  she  is  ill. 

Well,  on  that  12th  of  April,  about  one  hour  before 
sun-down,  we  went  to  the  house  of  the  governor, 
and  found  his  wife  had  provided  to  give  us  a  damp 
reception,  for  in  the  hall  there  were  rows  of  water- 
jars  with  bowls  and  ladles  ready  to  hand. 

Upon  entering  the  hall  we  were  each  presented 
with  a  bottle  of  rose-water,  a  little  of  which  we 
poured  into  the  hands  of  the  governor,  who  sprinkled 
it  over  his  own  vest  of  fine  flowered  muslin.  The 
lady  then  made  her  appearance  at  the  door,  giving 
us  to  understand  that  she  did  not  mean  to  join  in  the 
sport  herself,  but  made  her  eldest  daughter,  a  pretty 
child  in  the  arms  of  a  nurse,  pour  from  a  golden  cup 
some  rose-water,  mixed  with  sandal  wood,  first  over 
her  father  and  then  over  us.  This  was  the  signal  for 
the  commencement  of  the  sport,  for  which  we  were 
prepared  by  being  dressed  in  white  vestments. 

About  fifteen  young  women  then  rushed  into  the 
hall  from  the  inner  apartments,  and  surrounding  the 
governor,  myself,  and  Mr.  Johnson,  deluged  us  with- 


38  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

out  mercy;  raid  of  course,  laughing  heartily  if  we  ap- 
peared at  all  distressed  hy  the  water  flung  in  our 
faces.  At  length,  all  parties  being  tired,  and  com- 
pletely drenched,  Ave  went  home  to  change  our 
clothes ;  and  in  the  way  met  many  damsels,  who 
would  willingly  have  renewed  the  sport  had  they  re- 
ceived encouragement  from  us ;  but  truly  we  had 
had  sufficient  for  that  day,  especially  as  it  came  from 
antagonists  Avhom  politeness  prevented  our  repaying 
in  full.  When  we  had  changed  our  clothes,  we  re- 
turned to  the  governor's,  and  were  entertained  with 
a  dance  and  a  puppet  show  till  the  early  hour  of 
morning. 


BURMESE    LAW.  ZQ 


CHAPTER  III. 

I  GET  AN  INSIGHT  INTO   BURMESE  LAW,  AND   AM  PUT 
IN   THE   STOCKS. 

During  the  two  years,  Mr.  John  son  had  left  no 
means  untried  to  procure  the  restoration  of  my  pro- 
perty ;  and  at  length  my  hopes  revived,  for  in  conse- 
quence of  some  important  service  rendered  by  my 
friend  to  the  Prince  of  Prome,  that  lofty  personage 
had  sent  to  Rangoon  a  solemn  promise  to  bestir  him- 
self in  the  matter.  Unfortunately,  however,  with 
the  message  came  the  news  that  a  rupture  had  taken 
place  between  the  Burmese  and  English  governments, 
and  that  the  former  were  preparing  to  invade  Ben- 
gal ;  the  consequence  of  which  was  that  the  native 
authorities  at  Rangoon,  prompted  and  goaded  by  the 
Mussulman,  Armenian,  and  other  traders  who  were 
jealous  of  the  Europeans,  began  to  subject  the  latter 
to  every  possible  petty  annoyance,  and  to  such  an 
extent  that  meetings  of  English  and  Americans  were 
held  at  the  Exchange  to  consider  what  measures  were 
to  be  taken  to  protect  themselves  from  insult,  if  not 
from  injury. 

"  These  semi-savages  will  never  rest  till  they  find 
an  excuse  for  murdering  us,"  said  Mr.  Johnson,  one 
morning,  when  we  had  returned  from  a  meeting  at 
the  Exchange,  and  were  awaiting  a  fish  tiffin,  or  lun- 
cheon, which  my  old  nurse  was  preparing. 


40  THE   -wniTE   ELEPHANT. 

"  Nay,  sir,  surely  that  is  not  possible ;  they  must 
fear  the  English  power  too  much,"  said  I. 

"  They  fear  nothing ;  they  are  eaten  up  with  arro- 
gance and  pride ;  and  no  wonder,  for  a  nation  who 
have  ever  been  conquerors  and  never  conquered, 
can't  comprehend  a  power  they  have  never  felt.  Even 
now  it  is  said  that  a  vast  army  is  being  prepared, 
not  only  for  the  conquest  of  Bengal,  but,  as  they 
arrogantly  believe,  England  itself." 

"  Why,  they  have  no  ships." 

"No,  but  they  have  hundreds  of  war-boats,  which, 
in  their  ignorance  of  geography,  and  whether  Eng- 
land is  an  island  or  even  a  distant  portion  of  Asia, 
they  stupidly  believe  to  be  all-sufficient." 

"  Bah !  this  is  absolute  nonsense,"  said  I,  laughing. 

"  It  is  so,  as  far  as  even  the  conquest  of  the  neigh- 
boring English  territory  in  Bengal ;  but  at  the  same 
time  enough  to  exhibit  the  feeling  of  the  officials,  and 
lead  them  to  commit  any  outrage  upon  those  of  our 
countrymen  within  their  power." 

While  we  were  conversing,  our  attention  was 
drawn  to  a  great  noise  in  the  street.  It  was  the  pub- 
lic disgrace  and  punishment  of  a  priest  who,  with 
his  face  daubed  with  black  paint,  interspersed  with 
white,  and  seated  upon  an  ass,  was  being  drummed 
out  of  the  city  amid  the  shoutings  of  a  crowd  so  nu- 
merous, that  it  was  with  difficulty  the  criminal  was 
saved  from  being  crushed  to  death  by  the  exertions 
of  the  attending  constables,  or  Pa-Kwets. 

These  officials,  who  are  to  be  found  in  every  city 
in  the  empire,  are  chosen  from  the  most  atrocious 


BTJflMESE   LAW.  41 

criminals,  who  have  "been  pardoned  in  consideration 
of  their  assuming  for  the  rest  of  their  lives  the  voca- 
tions of  constables,  gaolers,  and  executioners,  with- 
out other  pay  or  reward  than  what  they  may  he 
enabled  to  extort  from  their  miserable  prisoners. 
Upon  each  cheek  they  have  branded  a  ring,  which 
implies  they  must  have  been  guilty  of  some  great 
crime,  punishable  by  the  laws  with  death.  Further, 
their  naked  breasts  are  tattooed  with  their  especial 
offence,  such  as  man-killer,  or  thief.  So  infamous  are 
these  pakwets  held,  that  even  in  the  fulfilment  of 
their  duties  they  are  not  permitted  to  enter  within 
the  walls  of  a  house  ;  nor  can  their  bodies  be  burned 
and  have  performed  over  them  the  usual  funeral 
rites,  but  they  are  interred  like  lepers. 

Suddenly,  however,  while  we  were  standing  out- 
side the  house  watching  these  miserable  men,  a  large 
cat,  of  the  half-tailed  Malay  breed,  darted  past  us, 
with  a  partly  roasted  fish  in  its  mouth,  followed  by 
my  nurse  exclaiming, 

"  The  thief!     The  thief  has  stolen  my  fish." 

"  There  goes  our  tiffin,  Harry,"  said  Mr.  Johnson, 
laughing ;  but,  adding,  as  he  pointed  to  one  of  the 
constables,  "  Look  !  the  eye  of  that  rascally  pa-kwet 
is  upon  her ;  he  means  mischief." 

Alarmed  at  the  possibility  of  danger  to  my  nurse, 
I  ran  after  her ;  and  as  puss  had  managed  to  effect 
her  escape  with  the  fish,  found  no  small  difficulty  in 
persuading  her  to  return  to  the  house  and  serve  up 
the  tiffin  as  best  she  could  without  fish. 

The  following  three  days  after  this  adventure  with 


42  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

the  cat  and  the  fish,  (which,  although  at  the  time  I 
thought  so  humorous,  proved  to  be  of  serious  conse- 
quence) were  occupied  by  witnessing  the  singular 
ceremony  of  burning  a  deceased  priest. 

The  holy  man  having  died  two  years  before,  his 
body  had,  at  the  house  in  which  he  died,  undergone 
the  following  process  of  embalming  : — ■ 

The  intestines  being  removed,  and  replaced  with 
various  fragrant  spices,  and  the  opening  sewn  up,  the 
body  was  covered  first  with  a  layer  of  wax,  to  pre- 
vent the  admission  of  air ;  then  a  layer  of  lac,  mixed 
with  other  ingredients  ;  and  lastly,  a  coating  of  leaf- 
gold.  The  body  being  thus  prepared  and  gilded, 
was  stretched  at  full  length,  with  the  arms  over  the 
breast,  and  then  left  in  the  house  in  which  death  had 
taken  place,  for  twelve  months. 

At  the  end  of  that  period  the  body  was  removed 
to  a  house  erected  on  purpose,  in  the  shape  of  a 
kioum  or  monastery,  about  thirty  feet  high,  and 
covered  with  leaf-gold,  where  it  remained  till  the 
order  was  given  for  its  being  consumed,  twelve 
months  afterward.  A  month  before  the  burning 
took  place  a  stage  was  erected  of  bamboo,  and  by  its 
side  placed  a  coffin,  decorated  with  gold  and  figures 
of  many  kinds,  but  all  emblematic  of  death  in  its 
various  forms. 

In  the  courtyard  of  the  house  were  preparing  two 
large  four-wheeled  carringes,  one  for  the  coffin,  the 
other  for  the  stage,  with  its  apparatus.  The  carriage 
in  which  the  corpse  was  to  be  drawn  had  another 
stage  erected  upon  it,  similar  to  the  one  in  the  house, 


BURMESE    LAW.  43 

but  of  larger  size,  and  fixed  upon  an  artificial  kneeling 
elephant. 

When  the  time  appointed  for  the  ceremony  grew 
near,  the  principal  people  in  every  street,  were  com- 
manded each  to  prepare  the  figure  of  a  buffalo,  bull, 
lion,  bear,  rhinoceros,  elephant,  or  man  ;  as  also  a 
large  rocket,  which,  at  the  proper  time,  was  to  bo 
affixed  to  the  figure.  On  the  first  day  of  the  cere- 
mony these  artificial  animals,  which  were  three  times 
the  size  of  life,  were  drawn  around  the  town  in 
procession,  accompanied  by  the  whole  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, male  and  female,  interspersed  with  flag-bearers, 
dancing  boys  and  girls,  and  rows  of  young  women, 
with  an  elder  woman  between  each  row  to  keep  or- 
der. 

The  next  day  came  the  most  singular,  and  to  a 
European  ridiculous,  portion  of  the  ceremony.  In 
an  open  space  in  the  middle  of  a  valley,  the  people 
were  assembled.  One  of  the  carriages  now  held  the 
stage  upon  which  was  placed  the  coffin  containing 
the  body ;  a  cable  was  fastened  to  each  wheel  of  the 
carriage,  when,  at  a  given  signal,  the  multitude 
divided  into  opposite  parties,  one  half  being  at  the 
front  and  the  other  at  the  back  of  the  carriage.  The 
four  cables  were  seized  simultaneously  by  as  many  as 
could  get  hold  of  them.  Then  the  two  parties  com- 
menced to  pull  one  against  the  other,  as  if  struggling 
which  was  to  get  possession  of  the  body,  which  was 
now  dragged  forward,  now  backward;  and  in  this 
struggle  they  continued  the  whole  day  without 
either  obtaining  the  advantage.     Near  the  close  of 


44  THE   "WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

evening,  however,  the  ropes  breaking  upon  one  side, 
the  opposite  party  claimed  the  victory. 

The  next  day  the  artificial  animals  were  drawn 
forth  upon  wheels,  each  with  a  rocket  seven  feet  in 
length  and  four  feet  in  circumference,  made  of  timber 
secured  by  iron  hoops,  and  rattan  lashings  affixed  to 
it ;  all  of  which,  with  a  great  quantity  of  fireworks, 
were  discharged  toward  evening,  causing  the  acci- 
dental death  of  several  people.  The  following  day 
was  appointed  for  the  burning.  As,  however,  a 
quarrel  arose  between  the  two  parties  who  had  pulled 
the  corpse,  the  unsuccessful  insisting  that  the  cables 
had  been  cut,  instead  of  being  fairly  broken  by  the 
other,  the  viceroy  granted  another  trial  of  pulling, 
but  the  same  party  came  off  as  victorious  as  before. 

The  next  day  the  corpse  was  placed  upon  a  stage 
in  the  middle  of  a  temple  erected  for  the  purpose ; 
small  rockets  were  fixed  upon  ropes  with  rings  of 
rattan,  so  as  to  slide  along  them  from  the  top  of  a 
hill,  to  which  one  end  of  the  ropes  was  fastened  to 
the  coffin.  At  a  given  signal  the  rockets  were  dis- 
charged, when,  sliding  along  the  ropes  to  the  coffin, 
which  was  purjDOsely  made  of  combustible  materials, 
set  it  on  fire,  and  thus  consumed  the  body  with  as- 
tonishing rapidity. 

Having  witnessed  the  conclusion  of  this  strange 
ceremony,  Mr.  Johnson  and  myself  walked  leisurely 
back  to  the  town,  chatting  together  upon  the  advan- 
tages and  disadvantages  of  the  ancient  custom  of 
corpse-burning  and  urn  burial,  to  which  I  was  de- 
cidedly favorable,  when,  as  we  approached  the  house, 


BURMESE   LAW.  45 

imagine  my  surprise  at  seeing  my  nurse  with  her 
arms  bound,  struggling  in  the  bands  of  two  slave 
constables.  Indeed,  to  such  an  extent  did  it  anger 
me,  that  I  believe  I  should  have  felled  them  to  the 
earth  but  for  my  friend,  who  said, 

"  It  is  useless,  Harry ;  let  us  follow  to  the  Rung-d- 
hau  "  (Court  of  Justice). 

"But  what  can  have  been  the  poor  creature's 
crime  ?"  said  I. 

"I  know  not,  Masser  Harry — I  not  know,"  ex- 
claimed my  nurse. 

"The  miserable  woman  will  hear  when  she  appears 
before  the  Praw"  (Lord)  "of  Justice,"  said  one  of 
the  constables. 

"  Let  us  follow,  Harry,"  said  Mr.  Johnson ;  and 
we  proceeded  to  the  Court  of  Justice,  where,  sur- 
rounded by  attendants  and  suitors,  sat  the  judge,  a 
fat,  sinister-looking  personage  who,  being  disengaged, 
ordered  the  pa-kwet  who  had  to  make  the  charge 
against  the  prisoner  to  be  sworn  ;  whereupon,  while 
the  Book  of  Imprecations  was  held  over  his  head  he 
repeated  the  following  formidable  judicial  oath : — 

"  I  will  speak  the  truth.  If  I  speak  not  the  truth, 
may  it  be  through  the  influence  of  the  laws  of  de- 
merit— through  passion,  anger,  folly,  pride,  and  hard- 
heartedness — so  that  when  I  and  my  relations  are  on 
land,  tigers,  elephants,  buffaloes,  poisonous  serpents, 
scorpions  shall  seize  and  crush,  and  bite  us  so  that 
we  shall  certainly  die;  let  the  calamities  of  fire,  water, 
thieves,  and  enemies  oppress  and  destroy  us,  till  we 
perish  and  come  to  utter  destruction ;  let  us  be  sub- 


46  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

ject  to  all  the  calamities  that  are  within  the  body, 
and  all  that  are  without  the  body ;  may  Ave  be  seized 
with  madness,  dumbness,  blindness,  deafness,  leprosy, 
and  hydrophobia ;  may  we  be  struck  with  thunder- 
bolts and  lightning,  and  come  to  sudden  death.  In 
the  midst  of  not  speaking  truth,  may  I  be  taken  with 
vomiting  clotted  black  blood,  and  suddenly  die  before 
the  assembled  people.  When  I  am  going  by  water, 
may  the  water  spirits  assault  me,  the  boat  be  upset,  and 
the  property  lost ;  and  may  the  alligators,  porpoises, 
sharks,  or  other  sea-monsters  seize  and  crush  me  to 
death  ;  and  when  I  change  worlds,  may  I  not  arrive 
among  men  or  spirits,  but  suffer  unmixed  punishment 
and  regret,  in  the  utmost  wretchedness,  among  the 
four  states  of  punishment.  If  I  speak  the  truth,  may 
I  and  my  relations,  through  the  influence  of  the  ten 
laws  of  merit,  and  on  account  of  the  efficacy  of  truth, 
be  freed  from  all  calamities  within  and  without  the 
body  ;  and  may  evils  which  have  not  yet  come  be 
warded  far  away.  May  the  ten  calamities  and  five 
enemies  also  be  kept  far  away.  May  the  thunder- 
bolts and  lightning,  the  Nat  of  the  waters,  and  all 
sea  animals  love  me,  that  I  may  be  safe  from  them. 
May  my  prosperity  increase  like  the  rising  sun  and 
the  waxing  moon ;  and  may  the  seven  possessions, 
the  seven  laws,  and  the  seven  merits  of  the  virtuous 
be  prominent  in  my  person ;  and  when  I  change 
worlds,  may  I  not  go  to  the  four  states  of  punishment, 
but  attain  happiness  of  men  and  Nats,  and  realize 
merit,  reward,  and  perfect  calm." 

I  have  given  at  full  length  this  oath,  that  you  may 


/ 


The  Stolen  Fish. 


P;it;e  47 . 


BURMESE   LAW.  47 

form  some  notion  of  my  terror  at  the  forthcoming 
charge  against  my  poor  nurse.  What  could  it  be  ? 
Surely  a  crime  of  great  magnitude  ;  nothing  less,  in- 
deed, than  conspiring  the  death  of  the  sovereign. 

"  Now  let  the  slave  make  his  charge  against  this 
miserable  woman,"  said  the  judge. 

"Truly,  O  great  praw"  (lord),  "the  woman's  crime 
is  not  small ;  for,  by  permitting  the  escape  of  a  tliief 
she  has  defrauded  the  lords  who  administer  justice 
of  their  just  fees,"  said  the  pa-kwet,  falling  upon  his 
hands  and  knees  before  the  official,  who  then  in  a 
stern  voice  said — 

"  What  says  the  miserable  slave  ?" 

"  Truly,  it  is  not  possible  for  thy  smallest  slave  to 
tell  that  of  which  she  knows  nothing.  Surely  this 
man  is  either  a  perjurer  and  deserving  the  punish- 
ments he  hath  invoked,  or  he  hath  mistaken  thy 
slave  for  another,  O  mighty  praw,"  replied  the  trem- 
bling woman. 

Then  having  looked  at  some  notes  written  upon 
leaves  of  the  palm-tree,  the  judge  said — 

"  Slave,  didst  thou  not,  on  the  day  of  the  punish- 
ment of  the  priest,  rush  forth  from  the  house  of  thy 
master  crying  that  a  thief  had  robbed  thee  of  thy 
fish?" 

This,  then,  was  the  charge ;  after  so  terrible  an 
oath,  it  was  too  ridiculous,  and  I  laughed  aloud,  to 
the  disgust  of  the  angry  judge,  who  said — 

"Place  the  vile  dog  of  a  colar"  (stranger)  "in  the 
stocks." 

"Pardon,  O  lord  judge,"  I  exclaimed,  "but  it  is 


48  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

impossible  to  help  laughing ;  for  even  if  thou  hadst 
the  thief  before  thee,  thou  couldst  get  no  fees." 

"  Thou  miserable  dog  of  a  colar,  the  thief  should 
be  put  in  the  stocks  till  he  or  his  friends  had  paid  the 
just  dues,"  said  the  judge. 

But  picturing  to  my  mind  a  cat  in  the  stocks,  I  had 
greater  difficulty  than  ever  in  restraining  my  laughter, 
as  I  replied,  "Truly,  O  judge,  it  would  be  a  difficult 
matter,  for  the  thief  was  a  cat." 

"  The  more  reason,  then,  that  this  miserable  woman 
should  be  confined  till  some  friend  pays  the  dues ; 
for,  even  if  caught,  the  cat  will  not  satisfy  the  claims 
of  justice,"  said  the  sapient  judge  ;  adding,  "  Let  the 
woman  be  placed  in  the  stocks  in  the  sun  till  twenty . 
ticals  have  been  paid  by  her  friends." 

"Release  the  woman,  O  judge,  and  I  will  fetch  the 
money,"  said  Mr.  Johnson. 

"Who  will  be  surety  that  thou  wilt  return,  O 
colar  ?" 

"  That  will  thy  servant,  O  judge,"  said  I. 

"  This  is  reasonable,"  said  the  official ;  adding, 
however,  "  Let  the  youth  remain  in  the  stocks  also, 
till  the  just  dues  are  paid." 

Whereupon,  the  two  pa-kwets  instantly  placed  me 
in  limbo ;  and  thus  did  I  obtain  my  first  real  experi- 
ence of  Burmese  justice.  Cruel,  however,  as  was  my 
case,  it  was  mercy  itself  in  comparison  with  an  inci- 
dent that  had  occurred  a  few  days  previously. 

A  widow,  unable  by  ordinary  means  to  pay  a  cer- 
tain tax,  was  compelled  to  sell  her  only  daughter. 
Receiving  the  purchase-money  with  a  heavy  heart, 


BURMESE    LAW.  49 

she  placed  it  in  a  box  in  order  that  she  might  give 
vent  to  her  grief  during  the  night.  "When,  however, 
she  awoke  the  following  morning,  she  found  the 
whole  of  the  money  had  been  stolen.  Distracted  she 
sat  at  her  door  giving  vent  to  loud  lamentations; 
during  which  one  of  the  underlings  of  the  court  of 
justice  passed.  This  man  having  heard  the  poor 
creature's  story,  repeated  it  to  the  judge,  who,  in 
fear  for  the  loss  of  his  fees,  sapiently  commanded  her 
to  deliver  up  the  thief.  This,  however,  being  impos- 
sible, he  ordered  the  woman  to  be  detained  in  the 
stocks  till  some  charitable  person  could  be  found  not 
only  to  pay  the  tax,  but  also  the  fees  he  himself  would 
have  received,  had  the  thief  been  taken. 

As,  however,  cases  of  even  a  worse  nature  than 
this  happened  during  my  residence  in  Rangoon,  and 
they  will  serve  not  only  to  illustrate  the  laws  of  the 
people,  but  the  value  of  the  institutions  under  which 
we  live  in  this  country,  where  the  judges,  being 
highly  educated,  independent  of  the  government 
during  good  behavior,  and  moreovei',  well  paid,  have 
not  the  necessity,  even  if  they  were  sufficiently  dishon- 
est, to  play  such  disgraceful  pranks,  I  will  relate  one 
or  two,  first  telling  you  that  as  the  judges  and  other 
officers  of  Burrna  are  paid  by  the  contending  suitors 
instead  of  the  government,  they  encourage  litigation, 
take  bribes  from  both  parties,  and  except  in  very 
palpable  cases,  give  their  decision  in  favor  of  him 
who  gives  the  greatest  sum  of  money. 

An  aged  Bui-mese  woman  in  the  service  of  a  Eu- 
ropean merchant,  being  cited  before  the  Judge  for 
4 


50  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

not  having  reported  to  the  authorities  a  theft  com- 
mitted upon  herself  some  three  years  previously,  hy 
which  the  officials  had  been  deprived  of  their  fees, 
her  master  appeared  to  exonerate  her,  hut  was  in- 
stantly seized  by  two  officers  of  the  court,  who  told 
him  that,  as  he  had  chosen  to  appear  in  the  affair,  he 
had  rendered  himself  responsible,  and  could  not  be 
released  unless  some  other  individual  was  left  in 
pledge  for  him.  Accordingly  he  left  his  servant,  a 
Burmese  lad,  who  had  accompanied  him  to  the  court. 
Shortly  afterward,  returning  with  the  money  to  pay 
the  fees,  he  found  that  the  money-squeezing  officials 
had  placed  the  lad  in  the  stocks  and  squeezed  his 
ankles,  until  the  poor  boy  gladly  gave  them  a  little 
money  he  had  about  his  person,  and  a  new  handker- 
chief. The  old  woman  was  also  in  the  stocks,  but 
was  released  without  further  inquiry  as  to  the  theft 
as  soon  as  the  fees  had  been  paid. 

Another  and  more  serious  case  was  that  of  seven 
Burmans,  who,  having  been  condemned  to  death  for 
sacrilege,  were  tied  to  the  stake  ready  for  execution. 
One  was  fired  at  several  times  without  being  hit.  At 
every  shot  there  was  a  loud  peal  of  laughter  from  the 
bystanders.  The  criminal  was  taken  down,  declared 
to  have  a  charmed  life,  and  pardoned  ;  and,  moreover, 
taken  into  the  service  of  the  judge — the  real  charm 
that  saved  this  man's  life,  being,  in  fact,  a  large  bribe ; 
the  other  six  poor  fellows,  having  no  means  of  bri- 
bery, were  executed.  As  for  my  own  position,  disa- 
greeable and  painful  as  it  was — for  the  smallness  of 
the  holes  in  the  stocks  so  squeezed  my  ankles  that 


BURMESE    LAW.  51 

the  pain  remained  for  days  after — it  was  of  short  du- 
ration ;  for  no  sooner  did  Mr.  Johnson  return  with 
the  ticals  of  flowered  silver  than  I  was  released, 
when,  having  with  the  woman's  accuser  partaken  of 
a  dish  of  pickled  tea — the  customary  form  of  con- 
cluding any  trial — I  returned  home  with  my  friend. 


52  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OUR   LIVES    SATED   BY   A   CANNON-BALL. 

As  day  by  day  the  rumors  of  the  rupture  between 
the  English  and  the  Burman  governments  increased, 
the  position  of  the  Europeans  in  Rangoon  became 
intolerable ;  for  as  the  natives  arrogantly  believed 
the  power  of  their  king  to  be  sufficient  not  only  to 
drive  us  from  his  dominions,  but  to  conquer  and 
plunder  the  Presidency  of  Bengal,  we  were  soon 
subjected  to  innumerable  petty  annoyances  ;  but  when 
the  news  arrived  that  their  hitherto  victorious  gen- 
eral, Bandoola,  was  on  his  march  to  the  capital  of 
British  India,  with  a  vast  army,  the  petty  tyrants  of 
Rangoon  exerted  their  tyranny  to  the  utmost,  for- 
bidding us  either  to  trade,  leave  the  town,  or  even 
congregate  together  at  the  exchange. 

Now,  as  Mr.  Johnson  suspected  that  our  position 
would  speedily  become  altered  for  the  worse,  rather 
than  better,  he  resolved  to  seize  the  first  opportunity 
of  leaving  the  city,  and  making  his  way  to  Ava,  and 
so  seek  the  protection  of  his  friend,  the  Prince  of 
Prome.  So  narrowly,  however,  were  we  watched, 
that  the  project  seemed  hopeless,  until  one  day,  while 
we  were  conversing  upon  our  prospects,  our  Malay 
boy,  with  a  grin  upon  his  face,  entered  the  room,  say- 
ing, "  A  message-man  from  the  Golden  City  j  'spose 
he  bring  good  news  for  young  sahib." 


OUR  LIVES    SAVED   BY   A   CANNON-BALL.  53 

This  messenger,  who  followed  at  the  boy's  heels, 
was  a  man  of  middle  size,  and  though  his  skin  was 
not  so  dark,  he  was  dressed  in  the  fashion  of  the  na- 
tive merchants ;  that  is,  his  head,  which  was  shaven 
all  but  a  small  tuft  of  hair,  was  covered  with  a  cotton 
handkerchief;  and  he  wore  the  loose  jacket,  sandals, 
and  the  linen  leg-coverings  which  pass  for  trousers. 

"  Who  are  you,  my  friend  ?  surely  not  a  Burman," 
said  Mr.  Johnson,  when  the  man  had  performed  the 
shiko,  or  Burman  obeisance. 

"  JSTaon  Myat,  the  slave  of  the  Prince  of  Prome," 
was  the  reply. 

"  Then  I  half  suspect  that  Naon  Myat  is  a  great 
rogue,"  said  my  friend. 

"  Naon  is  not  rogue,  but  good  slave  to  great  Prince 
of  Prome,  who  has  sent  him  with  this  letter,"  replied 
the  man,  holding  a  paper  packet  above  his  head. 

"  Bravo !  good  news  at  last,"  said  my  friend,  when 
he  had  perused  the  document. 

"  May  it  indeed  prove  so,"  said  I,  although  not  by 
any  means  sanguine. 

"  Good  it  is,  though,  my  boy,  for  it  is  nothing  less 
than  a  command  from  the  Prince  of  Prome  for  you 
to  accompany  this  messenger  to  Ava,  when  his  high- 
ness intends  to  restore  your  father's  property." 

"  Then  the  messenger  should  be  rewarded,"  said  I, 
joyfully. 

"  Not  a  bad  suggestion.  He  shall,  my  boy,"  and 
the  next  minute  my  friend  led  ISTaon  into  our  spacious 
cooking-room,  where  he  left  him  in  charge  of  the 
cook,  making  his  choice  from  the  best  in  our  larder. 


54:  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  I  doubt  this  fellow's  honesty,"  said  Mr.  Johnson, 
on  his  return. 

"  For  what  reason  ?" 

"  He  is  a  half-caste :  part  Portuguese,  part  Bur- 
man  ;  and  all  half-castes  are  treacherous." 

"  Pooh,  pooh,  this  is  ungenerous ;  besides,  the  man 
is  but  a  messenger ;  and  therefore,  if  he  has  the  incli- 
nation, he  cannot  have  the  power,  to  harm  me." 

"  You  do  not  know  these  fellows,  Harry ; — I  do. 
My  mind  is  made  up ;  I  will  accompany  you." 

"Capital,"  said  I;  "but  do  you  doubt  the  genuine- 
ness of  that  letter?" 

"  No ;  for  it  bears  the  royal  seal,  which  will,  by- 
the-bye,  enable  us  to  leave  Rangoon ;  for  that  even 
the  Governor  himself  dares  not  dispute." 

"When  shall  we  start?"  said  I,  impatiently. 

"At  sunrise  to-morrow." 

"  So  be  it ;"  and  I  felt  more  joyful  than  since  I  had 
been  in  Rangoon.  Thus  man  proposes. — Before, 
however,  that  sun  arose  we  were  awakened  by  the 
screaming  of  women,  the  angry  shoutings  of  men,  the 
tramp  of  native  soldiers,  the  rolling  of  heavy  pieces 
of  artillery,  the  beating  of  tomtoms,  the  grunting  of 
swine,  and  the  howling  and  bai'king  of  dogs.  Thus 
aroused,  we  jumped  from  our  beds  and  ran  down  the 
ladder  into  the  street,  and  then,  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  we  saw  blaze  after  blaze  of  fire. 

"  The  fire  beacons  are  lighted  throughout  the  coun- 
try ;  an  enemy  must  be  near." 

"The  English  fleet,"  I  exclaimed,  joyfully. 

"  The  vile  rogue  confesses  his  guilt,"  said  a  voice ; 


OUR   LIVES    SATED    BY    A    CANXON-BALL.  55 

and  the  next  moment  a  heavy  blow  upon  the  back  of 
my  head  felled  me  to  the  ground. 

How  long  I  remained  senseless  I  know  not,  but 
my  next  sensation  was  that  of  a  racking  pain  in  my 
head,  to  relieve  which  I  endeavored  to  raise  my 
hand,  but,  to  my  horror,  I  found  it  bound  to  my  side 
by  a  thick  rope ;  then,  looking  around,  my  real  situa- 
tion stood  visibly  before  me ;  there,  in  a  long  low 
room  were  about  thirty  Europeans  lying  or  sitting 
upon  the  hard  flooring,  with  their  ankles  fastened 
between  two  poles  of  bamboo,  which  ran  nearly  the 
whole  length  of  the  room,  and  were  held  at  least 
twelve  inches  from  the  ground  by  ropes  suspended 
around  pulleys  near  the  ceiling,  the  ends  of  the  ropes 
being  conveniently  at  hand,  so  that  the  legs  of  the 
prisoners  could  be  raised  or  lowered  according  to  the 
pleasure  of  the  attendant  pa-kwets ;  some  half  a  dozen 
of  Avhom  stood  gazing  with  malignant  satisfaction  at 
the  miseries  of  their  victims. 

As  I  have  intimated,  I  at  once  comprehended  that 
we  were  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  authorities, 
but  why  or  wherefore  was  an  enigma.  Then  I  re- 
membered the  alarm  in  the  streets,  and  the  lighting 
of  the  beacons.  Truly,  I  thought,  the  town  has  been 
treacherously  taken  by  the  old  enemies  of  the  Bur- 
mans  (the  Siamese),  and  the  Europeans  are  their 
prisoners;  but  my  head  throbbed  so  violently,  and 
my  position — from  my  legs  being  lifted  so  far  from 
the  ground,  and  my  arms  being  bound  so  tightly — 
was  so  torturing  that  I  can  compare  the  sensation  of 
that  moment  to  nothing  but  a  terrible  nightmare.     I 


56  THE   WHITE   ELEPIIAXT. 

could  not  move,  I  could  not  speak,  and  groaning 
with  agony,  I  should  have  fainted,  hut  that  a  voice 
near  me,  said — 

"My  poor  hoy. — A  tical  for  a  jug  of  water  in  his 
face,  you  scoundrels." 

It  was  the  voice  of  Mr.  Johnson.  I  endeavored 
to  move,  to  speak.  The  next  minute  my  face  was 
deluged   with  water,  which  revived  me,  and  I  said — 

"  You,  too,  a  prisoner,  my  friend  ?  Where  are 
we  ?  why  are  we  confined  ?  what  is  our  crime  ?" 

"In  the  custom  house,  suspected  of  treason,  and 
likely  to  he  put  to  death,  my  poor  hoy." 

"  But  for  what  ?  why  ?"  * 

"  The  rumor  of  the  quarrel  hetween  the  King  and 
the  Governor-General  of  India  is  true,  and  the  En- 
glish fleet  is  in  the  Irrawaddy,  it  is  suspected  with 
an  army  which  is  to  attempt  the  conquest  of  Bur- 
ma." 

"Then  we  are  prisoners  of  war." 

"  Not  so :  we  are  in  prison  as  traitors,  for  it  is  "be- 
lieved we  Europeans  have  secretly  invited  the  English, 
and  so  caused  this  sudden  and  unexpected  appear- 
ance of  the  fleet." 

"  That  fellow,  iSTaon  Myat,  has  he  not  some  con- 
nection with  our  present  position  ?"  I  said,  suspec- 
ting the  half-caste. 

"JSTo;  for,  like  ourselves,  he  is  confined  in  these 
stocks,"  replied  my  friend ;  and  I  felt  some  satisfac- 
tion in  the  conviction  that  Naon  was  erniltless. 

"  If  the  colar  (stranger)  dogs  would  not  have  their 
miserable  tongues  torn  out,  let  them  keep  silence," 


OUR   LIVES    SATED   BY    A   CANNON-BALL.  57 

said  a  jailor,  striking  us  upon  the  head  with  a  bamboo 
staff. 

"  It  is  your  turn  now,  it  may  be  ours  soon,"  mut- 
tered Mr.  Johnson ;  and  thus  miserably  we  passed 
the  night.  That  I  slept  was  a  miracle  ;  I  did  so, 
however,  for  the  next  morning  I  was  awakened  by  a 
raging  thirst  like  that  which  accompanies  a  fever. 

"Water,  water,  for  the  love  of  heaven!"  I  ex- 
claimed ;  a  request  which  would  have  been  refused, 
but  that  my  friend  fortunately  had  money  in  his 
pocket,  to  get  at  which  the  pa-kwets  kindly  set  one 
of  his  hands  at  liberty.  Unfortunately,  however, 
among  the  silver  were  several  pieces  of  gold,  which 
attracted  the  eager  gaze  of  the  officials. 

About  an  hour  afterward  an  officer  entered  the 
room  and  commanded  the  pa-kwets  to  march  the 
Europeans  to  the  Hall  of  Justice  before  the  Myo-wun 
or  Governor,  when  at  once  the  stocks  were  opened 
and  we  were  free,  at  least  as  far  as  our  legs  were 
concerned. 

"  ISTow  comes  our  release,  for  they  will  not  dare  to 
refuse  the  order  of  the  Prince  of  Prome,"  said  I. 

"Now  comes  our  torture;  see,  that  scoundrel  is 
speaking  to  the  Myo-wun's  messenger,"  said  Mr. 
Johnson ;  and  almost  at  the  same  moment  we  were 
again  forced  into  the  stocks,  the  ropes  pulled,  the 
bamboo  poles  went  upward,  and  we  were  suspended 
by  the  feet,  head  downward. 

"The  colar  dogs  must  pay  their  fees,"  said  the 
head  jailor. 

"Take  them — take  all,  thou  scoundrel,"  groaned 


58  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

my  friend  ;  when,  without  waiting  for  a  second  invi- 
tation, they  emptied  his  pockets  of  the  coin.  Said  I 
not  that  it  was  unfortunate  the  wretches  saw  tho 
money  ? 

Enraged,  however,  as  we  were,  we  were  compelled 
to  submit,  for  it  is  the  custom  of  the  country  in  every 
case. 

Having  secured  their  fees,  and  released  us  from  tho 
stocks,  they  stripped  us  of  all  clothing  but  shirts  and 
troAvsers,  linked  us  together  by  the  arms  into  droves 
of  about  twelve,  each  drove  being  secured  by  one 
rope,  the  end  of  which  was  held  by  two  pa-kwets ; 
and  thus  we  were  driven  along  barefooted,  bare- 
headed, and  faint  for  want  of  food,  beneath  a  burning 
sun,  and  that,  too,  slowly,  that  our  torture  might  be 
prolonged,  till  we  reached  the  Hall  of  Justice ;  where, 
being  first  forced  upon  our  knees,  we  were  com- 
manded by  the  Governor  to  confess  our  treason  upon 
pain  of  being  trodden  to  death  by  elephants. 

It  was  in  vain  we  pleaded  our  ignorance  of  the  ar- 
rival of  the  English  fleet ;  which,  by  the  way,  we 
most  heartily  wished  was  just  then  aware  of  our 
situation ;  for,  whether  he  believed  us  or  not,  the 
Governor's  hatred  of  Europeans  was  so  great  that  he 
was  resolved  to  wreak  his  vengeance  upon  those  in 
his  power. 

"  Miserable  dogs !  you  have  been  too  long  per- 
mitted to  soil  the  dust  of  the  Golden  Kingdom  with 
your  wretched  feet.  Long  have  you  known  the  com- 
ing of  your  rebel  countrymen  in  their  warships  ;  and 
still  longer  have  you  been  treacherously  preparing  to 


OUK   LIVES    SAVED   BY   A   CANNON-BALL.  59 

receive  them  ;  therefore  it  is  well  that  you  should  be 
punished,  to  prevent  further  mischief,"  said  he;  ad- 
ding, to  the  officer  in  charge,  "  See  that  their  heads 
are  taken  from  their  wretched  carcasses;  and  so 
shall  any  colar  dog  suffer  who  has  the  boldness  to  set 
his  foot  upon  the  soil  of  the  Golden  King." 

Sentence  having  been  thus  passed,  we  were  about 
being  driven  back  to  our  prison,  when  Naon  Myat, 
who,  for  some  reason  or  other,  had  been  gagged, 
having  removed  the  impediment  from  his  mouth,  said, 
in  the  Burmese  tongue, — 

"It  is  not  possible  that  the  great  Governor  can 
punish  the  innocent ;  he  dare  not,  even  if  guilty,  con- 
demn to  death  the  slave  of  the  mighty  prince,  the 
royal  brother  of  the  Golden  Foot." 

"  Who  then  art  thou,  slave  ?"  replied  the  Gover- 
nor, as  I  thought,  with  something  like  a  tremor. 

"  Naon  Myat,  the  agent  at  the  pretroleum  wells  of 
the  late  Sahib  Oliver,  the  friend  of  the  mighty  prince, 
whose  slave  thy  servant  now  is." 

"Then  how  came  it,  O  Naon  Myat,  that  thou  wast 
found  in  company,  in  the  very  house,  of  one  of  these 
treacherous  colars  ?"  asked  the  Governor  sternly. 

"By  the  orders  of  my  mighty  and  magnificent 
master,  who  commanded  me  to  conduct  the  Sahib 
Johnson  and  the  young  Sahib  Oliver  to  his  golden 
palace,  that  he  might  confer  honors  upon  the  noble 
youth,  in  recollection  of  his  friendship  for  his  parent." 

"  Let  the  Sahibs  stand  forth,"  said  the  Governor, 
in  a  more  friendly  tone. 

We  did  so. 


THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  Dost  thou  so  eagerly  seek  death  that  thou  couldst 
not  open  thy  lips  ?"  said  the  Governor. 

"  We  are  as  guilty  and  as  deserving  of  death  as 
our  countrymen,"  replied  Mr.  Johnson. 

"  What  says  the  boy  ?"  said  the  Governor  addres- 
sing me. 

"As  my  friend  said." 

"  Ah,  then  you  both  confess  to  this  treachery  of 
holding  communication  with  and  inviting  the  Bengal 
colars  to  invade  the  sacred  soil  of  the  Golden  Foot  ?" 
exclaimed  the  Governor. 

"  We  confess  nothing,  yet  declare  that  we  are  as 
guilty,  and  as  innocent,  as  our  countrymen,  and  there- 
fore seek  not  to  be  released  alone,"  said  Mr.  Johnson. 

"  Do  the  vile  colars  dare  me  ?"  said  the  Governor. 

"  We  dare  every  thing  for  our  innocent  country- 
men ;  and  further,  O  Governor,  I  warn  you  that,  if 
but  one  Englishman  is  killed,  his  fellow-countrymen, 
who  are  now  without  your  town,  will  not  leave  one 
stone  standing  upon  another,  in  this  miserable  place," 
said  my  friend,  as  I  thought  at  the  time,  rather  im- 
prudently, for  the  threat  was  made  to  a  man  who 
from  his  infancy  had  been  taught  no  less  to  tread 
upon  the  necks  of  all  within  his  power,  than  to  crawl 
abjectly  upon  his  knees  and  hands  before  his  super- 
iors ;  and  I  was  right,  for,  not  deigning  to  reply,  the 
Myo-wun  ordered  the  officer  to  see  that  we  shared 
the  sentence  of  the  other  prisoners. 

We  were  then  taken  to  the  public  prison,  heavily 
ironed,  and  placed  in  separate  cells  to  await  our  exe- 
cution ;  which,  for  some  reason,  probably  to  heighten 


OUR   LIVES   SAVED   BY   A   CANNON-BALL.  61 

our  torture,  was  put  off  from  day  to  day.  Each  morn- 
in  g,  however,  we  were  driven  in  the  same  manner  before 
the  Governor,  for  the  purpose  of  undergoing  precisely 
the  same  questions  and  answers — a  monotony  varied 
only  each  evening  by  our  being  placed  in  the  stocks 
heads  downward ;  and  thus  suspended  by  our  feet  until 
the  jailor  had  extorted  some  money — an  operation, 
however,  we  were  kindly  informed  was  not  intended 
as  a  punishment,  but  as  the  only  means  which  the 
officials  had  of  securing  their  rightful  fees. 

The  real  cause,  however,  of  the  postponement  of 
our  execution  I  believe  to  have  been  Mr.  Johnson's 
threat,  which  made  the  Governor  await  while  he  com- 
municated with  his  superiors;  yet,  although  thus 
forced  to  delay  destroying  us,  the  worthy  Myo-wun 
was  determined  to  amuse  himself  with  our  sufferings ; 
and  this  he  did  after  the  following  manner. 

Upon  the  foui'th  day  we  were  driven  down  to  the 
large  room  of  the  Godown,  where  we  had  the  grim 
satisfaction  of  seeing  the  preparations  for  our  decapi- 
tation. The  floor  was  strewn  with  sawdust;  six 
pa-kwets,  well  trained  professional  headsmen,  stood 
at  hand,  twisting  and  twirling  their  fresh-sharpened 
glittering  swords  before  our  eyes.  The  Governor 
sat  in  a  chair  of  state,  while  his  principal  officers, 
upon  his  hands  and  knees,  with  their  eyes  fixed  upon 
lis,  to  watch  the  motions  of  our  features,  crawled 
around  him ;  and  in  this  terrible  suspense  we  awaited 
our  doom  for  an  hour,  when  we  were  reprieved  for 
that  day,  and  sent  back  to  prison  again  to  be  put  in 
the  stocks  and  squeezed  out  of  more  fees. 


62  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

On  the  fifth  day,  having  been  told  that  the  Gover- 
nor had  received  positive  orders  for  our  immediate 
execution,  we  were  again  driven  to  the  Godown,  and 
then  our  doom  appeared  certain,  for,  after  sharpening 
and  flourishing  their  swords,  six  prisoners — myself 
and  friend  among  the  number — were  told  off  in  a 
line ;  our  heads  were  bent  forward,  while  six  pa-kwets 
stood  over  us  with  their  sword-blades  resting  upon 
our  necks. 

Shall  I  ever  forget  the  shudder  that  ran  through 
my  frame  as  that  cold  steel  touched  my  skin?  an  in- 
stant, a  word,  a  blow,  and  I  should  have  passed  from 
this  world.  Still  I  was  an  Englishman ;  the  thought 
nerved  me  so  that  I  do  not  think  a  muscle  of  my  face 
was  disturbed.  No,  commending  my  soul  to  God,  I 
stolidly  awaited  my  fate.  There  was  a  rustling  of 
gai-ments,  the  Myo-wun  arose  ;  I  even  remember  that 
he  cleared  his  throat  to  give  the  order.  He  spoke — 
but  what  he  said  I  know  not,  for  the  same  instant 
there  came  a  report  like  the  explosion  of  a  mine,  a 
crash,  a  fearful  scream — and  at  the  last  instant  of  the 
twelfth  hour  we  were  saved;  the  Myo-wun  had  fallen 
dead,  literally  crushed  to  atoms  by  a  thirty-two  pound 
cannon-hall. 


A   TERKIBLE    SCENE.  63 


CHAPTER  V. 

I    WITNESS     A    TERRIBLE     SCENE,     AND     AM     MADE    A 
PAGODA     PRISONER. 

The  incident  just  related  is  no  fiction.  The  shot 
by  which  the  lives  of  so  many  Europeans  were  saved 
from  death  is  recorded  in  our  military  history.  The 
British  frigate  Liffey  had  anchored  within  gun-shot 
of  the  town,  and  with  the  hope  of  a  bloodless  sur- 
render had  for  some  time  refrained  from  opening  fire 
upon  the  Burmese.  When,  however,  the  Myo-wun 
had,  by  beating  and  sheer  force,  compelled  the  mis- 
erable natives  (for  not  anticipating  an  attack  from 
the  sea-side,  there  were  but  few  regular  troops  pre- 
sent) to  man  the  batteries  and  fire  at  the  ships,  the 
British  commander  acknowledged  the  compliment 
by  the  thirty-two  pound  shot,  which,  miraculously, 
without  injuring  one  other  person,  killed  the  Gov- 
ernor. 

The  scene  which  followed  upon  the  death  of  the 
Governor,  and  the  attack  upon  the  town,  was  worthy 
the  pencil  of  a  Vernet.  A  series  of  yells  shook  the 
Godown,  and  almost  drowned  the  voice  of  the  second 
in  command,  who  ordered  his  prisoners  to  be  driven 
to  the  Shoe-Dagon  temple.  The  order  was  immedi- 
ately obeyed,  but  it  was  with  no  small  difficulty  we 
could  make  our  way  through  the  crowded  town,  for 
the  late  Governor — hopeless  of  maintaining  the  place 


64  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

for  any  length  of  time  against  the  British,  without 
reinforcements — had  hastily  organized  household  ser- 
vants, porters,  pagoda  slaves,  priests,  and  boatmen 
into  corps  for  fighting,  while  their  families,  old  men, 
women  and  children,  were  driven  like  cattle  in  droves 
into  the  recesses  of  the  neighboing  jungle,  there  to 
remain,  not  for  their  own  safety,  but  as  hostages  who 
would  have  to  answer  with  their  lives  for  the  good 
conduct  of  the  newly  levied  soldiers. 

The  scene  was  appalling ;  with  savage  brutality 
the  drovers,  armed  with  bamboos,  spears  and  hatch- 
ets, kicked  with  their  feet  or  struck  with  their  spears 
hobbling  cripples  or  weak  women,  who  screamed 
fearfully  as  the  shot  and  shell  fell  within  the  stockade, 
amid  the  yells  of  the  defenders,  the  bellowing  of 
cannon,  the  howling  and  barking  of  packs  of  dogs, 
and  the  grunting  of  the  half-wild  swine  which  were 
being  driven  with  the  crowd.  Then  the  demon- 
iacal laugh  of  the  pa-kwets,  and  the  cry  of  agony 
of  the  wounded  or  dying  persons,  as  a  shot  now 
and  then  fell  among  us,  killing  some,  wounding 
others,  calls  up  to  my  memory  even  now  a  scene  that 
freezes  my  blood.  Among  the  wounded  was  Mr. 
Johnson,  who,  being  unable  to  walk,  was  carried 
upon  the  shoulders  of  a  pa-kwet. 

There  was  a  supplement,  however,  to  this  terrible 
sight,  which,  belonging  to  ordinary  civilized  life,  and 
not  to  the  chances  of  war,  filled  me  with  greater 
horror  than  all  I  had  witnessed.  On  our  way  to  the 
great  Dagon  road  we  passed  a  bend  of  the  Irrawad- 
dy ;  the  tide  was  rising  rapidly,  to  the  intense  terror 


A   TERRIBLE    SCENE.  65 

of  seven  naked  men,  who,  having  been  secured  by- 
ropes  to  stakes,  which  were  driven  into  the  bed  of 
the  river  at  low  water,  were  then  awaiting  death  by 
drowning ;  and  with  strained  eyeballs  and  demented 
countenances,  calculating,  perhaps,  the  length  of 
their  existence  by  the  gradually  rising  waters.  These 
men  had  received  this  sentence  for  sacrilege,  or  rob- 
bing a  monastery,  and  being  too  poor  to  bribe  the 
judge,  it  was  being  carried  out  with  shocking  exact- 
ness. Oh !  that  I  were  free ;  what  would  I  not  risk 
to  release  those  suffering  creatures !  were  the  thoughts 
that  passed  through  my  mind. 

Thus,  beneath  a  burning  sun,  which  on  our  way 
struck  several  of  my  companions  in  misfortune  sense- 
less, and  upon  a  broad,  well-paved  road,  whose  sides 
were  studded  with  pagodas  and  Mourns,  or  monas- 
teries, and  the  heat  of  which  was  so  intolerable  that 
it  scorched  our  feet,  we  were  driven  for  a  distance 
of  three  miles,  till  we  arrived  at  a  mound,  some 
seventy  feet  in  height,  but  so  vast,  that  the  area  upon 
the  top  exceeds  two  acres,  and  from  the  centre  of 
which,  in  the  shape  of  an  inverted  speaking  trumpet, 
arises  in  its  golden  glitter,  to  a  height  of  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  feet,  the  Shoe-Dagon,  or  Golden 
Dagon  Pagoda,  which,  being  supposed  to  contain 
eight  true  hairs  of  Guadama — the  god  of  the  Bur- 
mans — is  the  chief  shrine  toward  which  pilgrims  bend 
their  course  from  all  quarters  of  the  empire.  The 
Shoe-Dagon,  is  also  the  sole  place  of  worship  of  the 
people  of  Rangoon ;  for  although  there  are  numerous 
smaller  pagodas,  like  those  we  passed  upon  the  road, 
5 


QQ  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

I 

they  are  the  private  properties  of  wealthy  individuals, 
by  whom  alone  they  are  made  use  of  for  the  purpose 
of  worshiping  Guadama,  whose  golden  image,  en- 
shrined therein,  is  the  object  of  their  adoration ;  and 
who,  by  the  way,  according  to  the  Burman  priests, 
was  so  wonderful  a  personage  that  I  will  give  you  a 
slight  sketch  of  his  origin  and  doings. 

Guadama  was  born  626  before  our  Saviour.  Ho 
was  the  son  of  a  king  of  Ma-ge-deh,  in  Hindoostan. 
When  born,  he  was  nursed  by  two  deities,  and  his 
divine  origin  and  perfections  were  made  known  by 
the  bowing  of  the  idol  before  which,  according  to 
custom,  he  was  presented  when  born. 

Previous  to  his  last  birth  he  had  lived  in  four  hun- 
dred millions  of  worlds,  and  like  any  other  inhabitant 
of  the  world,  had  gradually  worked  his  way  up 
through  the  state  of  beasts,  and  had  been  in  every 
condition  of  life.  Immediately  ujoon  his  birth  this 
astonishing  baby  exclaimed,  "  Now  I  am  the  noblest 
of  men.     This  is  the  last  time  I  shall  ever  be  born." 

When  he  was  ten  years  of  age  he  was  placed  under 
the  care  of  a  wise  man  named  Bahburemihbacshi, 
who  instructed  him  in  every  kind  of  knowledge; 
however,  he  soon  outstripped  in  knowledge  sufficiently 
to  teach  the  wise  man,  his  master,  sixty  languages. 
At  twenty  he  married,  but  either  from  the  shrewish- 
ness of  his  wife,  or  some  other  cause,  he  expressed  a 
desire  to  turn  anchorite,  assumed  the  name  of  Gua- 
dama, and  gave  himself  up  to  the  contemplation  of 
the  Deity. 

This,  of  course,  is  the  tradition  carried  down  bv 


A   TERRIBLE   SCENE.  67 

his  disciples ;  the  truth,  however,  as  near  as  we  can 
ascertain,  is  worth  our  knowledge,  for  Guadama, 
although  a  pagan,  was  evidently  a  personage  of  mark 
in  his  own  unenlightened  age,  and  moreover  a  great 
reformer.  And  this  truth  has  been  attempted  to  be 
discovered  by  a  learned  writer,  who  says, — 

The  truth  concealed  in  this  Indian  table  seems  to 
be  simply  this,  that  the  son  of  the  King  of  Ma-ge-deh, 
whose  rank  and  austerities  had  secured  the  venera- 
tion of  his  countrymen,  had  sense  enough  to  perceive 
the  absurdity  of  the  Brahmin's  system,  and  ability 
enough  to  jDersuade  his  countrymen  to  adopt  his  own. 
The  success  of  his  new  doctrine  was  such,  that  at  one 
period  it  had  nearly  suppressed  the  ancient  faith  of 
the  Hindus ;  but  when  events,  which  we  cannot  now 
trace,  had  re-established  the  authority  of  the  Brahmins, 
they  showed  that  they  were  not  behindhand  in  retalia- 
tion ;  the  followers  of  Budd'ha  (i.  e.  Guadama)  were 
persecuted  without  mercy ;  and  scarcely  an  individual 
of  that  faith  can  now  be  found  in  Hindoostan.  Some 
of  the  fugitives  appear  to  have  taken  refuge  in  Ceylon, 
while  others  fled  into  the  mountains  of  Thibet.  From 
Ceylon  they  conveyed  their  doctrine  to  the  eastern 
peninsula  of  India.  From  Thibet  it  traveled  over 
Tartary  to  the  north  and  west,  into  China  in  the  east, 
and  from  thence  into  Cochin-China  and  the  other 
regions  in  the  south,  where  it  is  only  divided  by  a 
lofty  chain  of  mountains  from  its  kindred  faith,  im- 
ported from  the  south  and  west  into  the  kingdoms 
of  Ava  and  Siam. 

Guadama,   say    the    Burmans,   obtained   Nibban 


68  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

(*.  e.,  died)  in  the  year  before  Christ  543,  and  at  his 
death  advised  that  his  relics  and  image  should  be 
worshipped  and  his  law  obeyed,  until  the  appearance 
of  the  next  Boodh  ar  Buddha,  who  would  make  his 
advent  in  five  or  six  thousand  years. 

But  to  continue  my  narrative : — 

This  temple,  then,  transformed  into  a  fortress, 
guarded  by  two  large  field-pieces,  and  which  was  to 
be  our  prison,  was  the  most  magnificent  structure  I 
had  seen  in  Burma.  It  was  encircled  by  two  terraces 
within  a  balustrade,  which  represented  a  huge  croco- 
dile, whose  jaws  were  supported  by  two  immense 
figures  of  a  male  and  female  Belhoo,  or  evil  genius, 
who,  with  clubs  in  their  hands,  guard  the  entrance. 

Up  a  great  flight  of  narrow  steps  we  were  driven 
to  the  upper  terrace;  from  the  centre  of  which  arises 
the  pagoda,  or  spiral  portion  of  the  structure,  from 
an  eight-sided  golden  base,  surrounded  by  a  vast 
number  of  smaller  pagodas ;  griffins,  sphinxes,  and 
images  of  the  Burman  deity  shooting  out  as  it  were 
from  this  base.  The  domed  form  of  the  pagoda 
tapers  upward  to  an  immense  height,  the  summit  of 
which  is  surmounted  by  a  tee,  or  umbrella  of  iron 
work,  from  which  are  suspended  a  number  of  small 
bells,  which  are  set  in  motion  by  the  slightest  breeze, 
and  produce  a  pleasant,  if  not  musical  sound. 

Having  reached  the  upper  terrace,  we  were  formally 
given  into  the  custody  of  the  commander  of  the 
pagoda  garrison,  a  stout,  gaudily-attired,  consequen- 
tial-looking personage,  who  sat  in  a  shabby  chair  of 
state,  with  one  leg  thrown  forward,  and  his  toes  bent 


A   TERRIBLE    SCENE.  CD 

underward,  as  if  to  grip  the  floor ;  his  head  and  chest 
backward,  that  the  inflation  of  his  person  might  im- 
press ns  with  the  dignity  of  the  rank  which  the  tslao, 
or  cord  of  nobility,  which  he  wore,  proclaimed  him 
to  hold  in  the  army.  Before  this  officer  the  slaves 
compelled  ns  to  bend  our  backs  and  knees,  and  so 
remain  till  his  grandness  had  not  only  heard  the 
ci'ime  with  which  we  were  charged,  but  until  he  had 
severely  scrutinized  us  from  head  to  feet ;  after  which, 
he  condescended  to  say — 

"The  colars  (foreigners)  are  rebels  and  traitors; 
they  have  betrayed  the  sacred  land  of  the  Golden 
Foot  to  their  friends ;  therefore,  as  it  is  good  they 
should  be  treated  like  slaves  and  thieves,  let  them  be 
put  in  the  stocks  in  the  great  cell." 

"When,  fearing  rather  for  my  wounded  friend  than 
myself,  for  I  had  resigned  all  hope  of  rescue,  I  stepped 
forward  and  said  boldly — 

"  The  chief  is  a  brave  man,  and  can  put  his  prison- 
ers to  the  torture;  but  even  he  dare  not  raise  the 
anger  of  the  mighty  brother  of  the  Golden  Foot." 

"Does  the  dog  of  a  rebel  beard  us?"  he  said, 
clutching  the  handle  of  his  sword,  as  if  to  do  instant 
execution  on  me. 

"  If  the  chief  is  not  afraid  of  an  unarmed  boy,  let 
him  order  my  arms  to  be  unbound,  and  he  shall  see 
that  the  Prince  of  Prome  is  my  friend,"  said  I. 

To  my  surprise  he  ordered  my  arms  to  be  set  at 
liberty,  and  I  gave  him  the  prince's  letter.  When 
he  had  perused  its  contents,  his  lips  quivered,  either 
with  rage  or  fear — I  think  the  latter — and  he  said — 


70  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"The  rebel  dog  dares  me;  nay,  more,  he  thinks  to 
laugh  at  me,  by  making  me  believe  in  this  writing," 
said,  he  angrily  ;  adding,  however,  ironically,  "What 
would  the  dog  ask — his  liberty?" 

"  To  be  placed  in  one  cell  alone  with  my  wounded 
friend  till  the  chief  can  communicate  with  the  great 
prince,"  said  I. 

"  The  dog  is  presumptuous.  He  believes  I  fear 
these  characters,  therefore  must  his  eyes  be  opened," 
he  replied ;  adding  to  the  officer  of  the  soldiers, 
"  his  prayer  is  granted  ;  see  that  the  old  and  the 
young  rebel  be  chained  together  in  one  cell."  After 
which,  without  another  word,  this  subaltern  despot 
arose,  and  having  with  some  difficulty  made  his  way 
through  the  slaves,  who,  as  he  arose,  crouched  at  his 
feet,  descended  to  the  lower  terrace. 

Well  might  these  miserable  beings  crouch  and 
crawl  in  the  shadow  of  power,  for  the  smallest  and 
briefest  authority  in  Burma  carries  with  it  the  power 
of  life  and  death  over  inferiors. 

Then,  while  our  fellow  prisoners  were  driven  to- 
gether in  one  large  cell  in  the  wall  of  the  pagoda, 
Mr.  Johnson  and  myself  were  conducted  to  a  hole 
about  eight  feet  square,  where,  having  been  first 
chained  together  arm  in  arm,  we  were  left  with  our 
other  limbs  at  liberty,  and  a  small  quantity  of  boiled 
rice,  and  a  jar  of  water. 

"  It  is  at  least  a  comfort  that  the  rogue  has  put  us 
together,"  said  my  friend. 

"  To  me  it  is  wonderful." 


A   TERRIBLE   SCENE.  71 

"Not  at  all,  Harry;  he  means  to  befriend  us," 
said  Mr.  Johnson. 

"  Then  why  chain  us  like  two  thieves  ?"  said  I. 

"  In  order  to  keep  up  his  dignity  before  his  slaves 
and  soldiers,  whom  he  would  not  wish  to  believe  he 
is  afraid  of  us." 

"  Then  the  prince's  letter  frightened  him,  and  he 
will  release  us." 

"  Not  me,  for  he  dares  not ;  while  after  perusing 
the  letter,  he  fears  to  keep,  or  at  least  to  torture  you. 
Thus,  you  will  find  that  some  time  during  the  night 
he  will  come  to  this  cell,  and  by  way  of  favor,  and 
for  a  sum  of  silver  offer  to  release  you." 

"  If  it  be  so,  I  shall  refuse  to  quit  this  hole  without 
you." 

"  Nonsense,  my  boy,  listen."  Then  in  a  whisper, 
Mr.  Johnson  said,  "  Accept  the  offer  upon  any  terms, 
and  you  may  release  us  all." 

"How?"  And  my  heart  leaped  with  delight  at 
the  notion. 

"  Have  you  courage  to  make  an  attempt  to  reach 
the  British  fleet  ?" 

"  Do  you  doubt  me  ?  But  how  is  this  thing  to  be 
accomplished?" 

"Accept  his  oifer,  but  insist  that,  as  it  will  be 
dangerous  for  a  European  to  make  his  appearance 
just  now  among  the  people,  that  he  provide  you  with 
the  native  costume;  then  seek  the  nearest  point  of 
the  Irrawaddy,  and  await  some  opportunity  of  seiz- 
ing a  boat,  when-^but  the  rest  I  leave  to  your  own 
prudence ;  then,  when  you  reaeh  the  fleet,  and  have 


^2  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

made  it  known  where  the  Europeans  are  confined,  I 
am  strangely  ignorant  of  our  countrymen  if  we  are 
not  soon  set  at  liberty,"  said  my  friend. 

"  Glorious !"  I  cried.  But  then,  as  it  occurred  to 
me  that  he  might  be  too  sanguine,  my  ardor  lessened, 
and  I  added,  "Are  you  not  too  hopeful  ?  this  petty 
tyrant  may  not  be  so  easily  bought  over." 

"  The  princes,  the  king,  the  queen,  all  Burma  may 
be  bought  at  a  price,  but  especially  one,  whose  au- 
thority being  temporary,  is  desirous  of  making  his 
hay  while  the  sun  shines."" 

"  I  trust  it  may  be  so." 

"Would  that  you  could  meet  with  that  fellow, 
Naon  Myat." 

"Ah!  I  fear  that  fellow  is  a  rascal,  and  that  he 
betrayed  us  to  the  soldiers. 

"A  rogue  he  may  be,  most  half-castes  are ;  he  dare 
not,  however,  be  otherwise  than  faithful  to  you." 

"  Why  not  ?" 

"  Because  it  is  his  interest  to  return  to  the  Prince 
of  Prome ;  and  if  he  does  so  without  being  accom- 
panied by  you,  his  life  will  not  be  worth  a  day's  pur- 
chase," 

"  Capital !"  I  exclaimed. 

"What !  that  the  poor  fellow  should  be  put  to 
death?" 

"  No,  no,  heaven  forbid  ;  but  that  it  should  be  his 
interest  to  serve  me,  for  without  his  knowledge  of 
the  wild  country,  I  know  not  how  I  should  get  to 
Ava," 

"  In  the  train  of  the  victorious  British  Army,  I  hope," 


A   TEKKIBLE   SCENE.  73 

"  Well — yes ;  it  is  probable,"  I  said. 

At  that  moment,  however,  the  commander  of  the 
garrison  made  his  appearance,  as  my  friend  had  fore- 
seen. 

"  The  rebel  colars  have  been  treated  leniently," 
said  the  magnate,  blandly. 

"  Fur  which  they  beg  the  generous  praw  (lord) 
will  deign  to  accept  a  present  that  he  may  build  a 
pagoda,"  said  Mr.  Johnson. 

"  The  Sahib  Johnson  is  good,"  replied  the  rogue. 

For  my  own  part,  my  transactions  with  these 
people  had  been  too  few  to  have  become  hypocriti- 
cal, so  I  said — 

"The  officer  has  read  the  Prince's  commands,  and 
therefore  for  his  life  dares  not  any  longer  obstruct 
my  journey  to  Ava.  Let  him  therefore  generously, 
and  like  a  warrior,  at  once  release  me  and  my  friend, 
and  he  shall  receive  five  hundred  pieces  of  silver." 

"The  young  colar  is  brave  and  generous,  and  I 
wish  him  well.     He  shall  therefore  depart." 

"  With  my  friend  ?" 

"The  shadow  of  the  Golden  Foot,  the  mighty 
Prince  of  Prome,  has  not  so  commanded — the  colar 
Johnson  is  a  prisoner.  His  countrymen  are  in  rebel- 
lion at  the  gates  of  the  city,  therefore  this  cannot  be; 
but  as  he  is  generous,  and  will  make  presents,  he 
shall  remain  here  unharmed  until  his  friend  the  young 
colar  may  beg  his  release  at  the  foot  of  the  Golden 
Throne,"  was  the  stern  reply. 

Knowing  that  it  would  be  useless  to  insist  upon 
the  release  of  Mr.  Johnson,  I  said — 


74  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"Truly  this  is  a  great  sorrow;  but  as  it  cannot  be, 
I  will  accept  my  freedom ;  and  the  sahib,  my  friend, 
will  see  that  the  present  of  silver  is  paid.  Yet,  the 
brave  warrior  has  forgotten  that  it  will  be  dangerous 
for  a  colar  at  the  present  time  to  pass  among  the 
Burman  people." 

"The  young  colar's  words  are  wise.  He  shall  have 
a  protection  from  the  people  under  the  seal  of  office," 
was  the  reply. 

"  Still  it  will  not  be  safe  for  a  European  to  be  seen 
in  the  public  ways  without  the  pus'ho  and  engi  of 
the  Burman." 

"  The  young  colar's  words  are  again  good,  and  he 
shall  be  supplied  with  the  dress."  So  saying,  the 
chief  left  the  cell. 


I   AM    CHASED    BY    A   SERPENT.  75 


CHAPTER  VI. 

I  AM  CHASED  BY  A  SERPENT,  AND  TAKEN  BY  THE 

ENEMY. 

Two  hours  after  the  chief  had  quitted  the  cell,  a 
slave  made  his  appearance  with  a  bundle  beneath  his 
arm.  It  was  the  promised  native  dress,  namely,  the 
pus'ho — a  kind  of  trowsers,  which,  covering  the  loins, 
reach  half  way  down  the  leg,  and  is  made  of  a  double 
piece  of  cloth  so  long,  that  it  can  be  loosely  wrapped 
about  the  body,  and  secured  by  having  one  portion 
tucked  under  another,  one  end  being  allowed  to  hang 
down  loosely  in  front ;  the  engi,  or  sleeved  frock  of 
white  cotton  tied  with  strings  in  front,  and  descending 
below  the  knee ;  a  red  Madras  handkerchief,  which 
being  put  on  in  the  manner  of  a  turban,  but  so  as  to 
leave  the  upper  part  of  the  head  bare,  formed  the 
head-dress ;  and  a  pair  of  thick  sandals  for  the  feet. 

"When  the  man  had  assisted  me,  in  completing  my 
attire,  and  I  had  taken  a  hearty  leave  of  my  friend, 
he  conducted  me  out  of  the  cell.  We  had  descended 
the  steps  of  the  pagoda,  passed  the  outer  sentries, 
and  my  heart  felt  lighter  than  it  had  for  many  a  day. 
"When,  however,  we  turned  an  angle  of  the  base  of 
the  building,  what  was  my  chagrin  at  seeing  two 
ponies,  one  of  which  was  saddled,  and  provided  with 
a  basket  of  provisions  slung  across  his  neck,  and  held 


7G  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

by  a  soldier  in  full  uniform,  i.  e.  with  a  red  handker- 
chief around  his  head,  a  loose  jacket  of  the  same 
color,  but  naked  legged,  bare-footed,  and  tattooed. 
He  was  armed  with  a  musket  and  a  short  sharp- 
pointed  spear ;  and,  I  suppose,  must  have  seen  my 
vexation  in  my  face,  for  he  said — 

"  The  young  colar  goes  to  the  golden  city  of  the 
Lord  of  Thousands  of  Elephants.  The  great  Praw 
My  ark  (my  friend  the  commander  of  the  garrison) 
too  much  honor  sahib  to  let  he  walkee,  four  legs  go 
quicker  than  two,  and  slave  see  sahib  no  lost  in  jun- 
gle." 

To  which  jargon,  without  exciting  suspicion  as  to 
my  real  intentions,  of  course  I  could  make  no  reply ; 
so,  making  the  best  of  a  bad  affair,  I  mounted  the 
pony,  which  carried  me  at  a  gentle  pace  after  my 
oily  friend  with  the  mahogany  countenance  and  illus- 
trated legs ;  but,  as  we  went  along,  I  racked  my 
brains  in  endeavoring  to  account  for  this  move  of  the 
commander  of  the  pagoda  garrison.  Did  he  mean  to 
betray  me  ?  No,  it  could  only  be  for  his  own  safety 
that  he  had  taken  this  means  of  preventing  my  going 
to  Rangoon ;  for  should  I  happen  to  be  retaken,  he 
would  have  to  pay  for  my  escape  from  the  pagoda 
with  his  own  life. 

But  when  at  least  an  hour  had  passed,  and  I  began 
to  fear  for  the  safe  execution  of  my  schemes,  I  re- 
solved that  my  mahogany-colored  friend  must  be  got 
rid  of.  Yes,  but  how  ?  and  I  smiled  as  I  for  the  mo- 
ment determined,  by  a  bold  effort,  to  cut  the  reins 
of  my  pony,  throw  them  across  the  fellow's  arms,  and 


I   AM   CHASED   BY   A    BEEPENT.  77 

thus  secure  him  to  a  tree.  Very  good,  as  far  as  it 
went;  but  then  we  were  crossing  a  great  swamp 
through  rice-fields,  wherein  no  tree  was  to  be  found ; 
and  so  ended  my  scheme,  till  at  length  we  entered 
the  pestiferous  jungle  which  skirted  a  large  teak 
forest,  where  I  resolved  to  make  the  attempt ;  so, 
awaiting  this  opportunity,  and  calculating  the  chances 
of  my  success,  unarmed  as  I  was,  over  a  completely 
armed  savage,  I  rode  on  in  silence,  and  so  long  and 
so  far  through  this  dense  jungle,  that  I  began  to  fear 
that  even,  in  the  event  of  my  getting  rid  of  my 
keeper,  I  should  never  be  able  to  find  my  way  to  the 
river.  "  Ah !  the  Irrawaddy,"  I  exclaimed,  as, 
breaking  through  a  mass  of  entangled  underwood,  I 
caught  sight  of  water. 

"  It  is  long — far  from  the  Mother  of  Waters  ;  it  is 
what  sahib  calls  shoot  out  of,"  said  the  soldier. 

"A  branch  of  the  Irrawaddy,"  I  replied,  translating 
the  man's  meaning;  and  even  if  it  be,  I  thought,  and 
leads  to  the  great  river  itself,  it  is  doubtlessly  so 
covered  with  war-boats  carrying  recruits  to  the  be- 
sieged city,  that  it  would  be  dangerous  to  follow  its 
course ;  and  so  I  rode  on  in  sullen  discontent  till  Ave 
reached  the  stream,  when  seeing  my  guide  intended 
to  travel  along  the  banks,  and  that,  too,  in  an  oppo- 
site direction  to  the  Irrawraddy,  I  said, 

"  Let  us  ford  this  stream ;  it  will  save  time." 

"  No  ford  this — it  no  can  be,  sahib ;  no  good  swim 
when  can  walkee,"  replied  the  man,  greatly  to  my 
surprise,  for  a  Burman  takes  to  water  as  naturally  as 
a  duck. 


78  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"Then  we  will  eatee  and  drinkee,"  I  replied,  ill- 
naturedly  mocking  him,  and  resolved  to  come  to  a 
halt,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  pure  water  make 
my  morning  meal  of  cold  boiled  rice  and  fish ;  when 
upon  the  instant  my  guide,  who  was  probably  as 
much  in  want  of  refreshment  as  myself,  leaping  from 
his  horse,  spread  out  a  cloth  upon  the  grass  near  the 
edge  of  the  river ;  and  while  I  made  my  meal,  squatted 
down,  holding  his  share  in  his  hands  and  rolling  his  eyes 
by  turns  in  every  direction,  as  if  upon  the  look-out  for 
dangerous  beasts  or  reptiles — a  watchfulness  that  I 
soon  found  necessary,  for  jumping  suddenly  from  his 
squatting  position  to  his  feet,  and  seizing  me  by  the 
arm,  he  cried,  "  Let  sahib  take  care — the  snake !  the 
snake !"  and  there  at  a  distance  of  a  single  spring  lay 
a  huge  snake,  with  its  great  eyes  glistening  in  our 
faces. 

"Fire,  idiot!"  I  exclaimed,  thinking  he  was  too 
much  terrified  to  use  his  musket. 

"No,  sahib,  not  fire;  snake  no  take  notice,  if  not 
fire ;  if  fire  and  not  kill,  snake  follow  every  where  till 
catchee  and  killee." 

Not,  however,  understanding  the  man's  full  mean- 
ing, vexed  at  being  interrupted  in  my  rough  meal, 
and  not  by  any  means  inclined  to  trust  to  the  polita- 
ness,  generosity,  or  self-denial  of  so  formidable  a 
creature,  I  snatched  the  gun  from  his  hands,  and  dis- 
charged it  at  the  reptile ;  but  a  blow  from  the  now 
really  terrified  Burman  turned  the  weapon  aside,  so 
that  the  snake  was  but  slightly  Avounded,  it  hissed, 
lifted  up  its  great  head,  and  preparing  to  make  a 


I   AM   CHASED   BY    A    SEKPE^T.  T9 

spring,  would  the  next  moment  have  had  me  in  it3 
fangs,  but  for  my  making  a  backward  leap.  The  dis- 
tance gained,  however,  by  this  leap  afforded  but  a 
temporary  respite ;  for  with  an  agility  that  astounded 
me,  the  reptile  followed  at  my  heels,  at  which,  being 
unarmed,  I  became  so  alarmed,  that  at  the  top  of  my 
speed  I  fled  along  the  banks ;  stopping,  however,  to 
take  breath,  I  found  the  reptile  still  so  near,  that  in 
another  instant  it  would  have  overtaken  me.  There 
was  but  one  chance  of  escape  before  me — the  river ; 
I  plunged  into  the  stream,  swam  to  the  other  side, 
scrambled  upon  the  bank,  and  then  rested  to  thank 
Heaven  for  my  narrow  escape ;  but,  to  my  horror, 
there,  rising  above  the  waters,  was  the  head  of  the 
reptile,  with  its  eyes  dilated  with  rage,  and  its  fangs 
protruding  from  its  jaws.  To  my  feet  again,  and  off 
at  full  speed.  In  rising,  my  head-dress  fell  to  the 
ground ;  not  stopping,  however,  to  pick  it  up,  I  ran 
so  fast  that  I  believe  the  exhaustion  of  nature  alone 
would  have  stopped  me,  had  I  not  heard  the  voice 
of  the  Burman.  This  made  me  look  back,  and  then, 
while  panting  for  breath,  guess  my  surprise  at  seeing 
the  reptile — which,  although  intelligent  enough  to 
follow  me  for  the  insult  I  had  put  upon  it — stupidly 
wreaking  its  wrath  upon  my  head-dress,  and  that, 
too,  so  determinedly,  that  it  did  not  see  the  stealthy 
approach  of  the  cat-like  Burman,  who,  forgetting  his 
reluctance  to  swimming,  had  crossed  the  stream,  and, 
moreover,  in  a  paroxysm  of  courage,  put  it  to  death 
with  the  butt-end  of  his  musket. 

Need  I  tell  vou  it  was  the  first  and  last  time  I  ever 


80  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

made  an  unprovoked  attack  upon  a  snake,  at  least  of 
the  family  with  which  my  enemy  was  connected,  and 
which,  by  the  way,  is  somewhat  celebrated  for  similar 
kind  of  feats. 

These  reptiles,  called  hamadryas,  are  more  com- 
monly found  in  Tenasserim  than  in  Pegu.  They  are 
between  ten  and  twelve  feet  in  length,  with  a  short 
head,  a  dilated  neck,  thick  trunk,  short  tail,  and 
nearly  black  in  color.  The  hamadryas's  bite  is  fatal ; 
and  so  fierce  in  its  nature,  that,  although  it  may  fre- 
quently not  attack  without  provocation,  when  pro- 
voked, as  I  have  shown  you,  it  will  not  only  savagely 
attack,  but  pursue  its  enemy  until  it  has  satisfied  its 
vengeance. 

Perceiving  that  even  after  we  had  recrossed  the 
stream,  and  were  preparing  to  remount  our  ponies, 
the  Burman  still  trembled,  I  said, — 

"  Why,  thou  coward,  the  enemy  is  dead,  and  can 
do  thee  no  harm." 

"  Me  no  fear  for  self,  me  fear  for  sahib ;  had  sahib 
been  killed,  his  slave  killed  too  for  no  taking  care  of 
sahib." 

As  this  way  of  proving  that  he  did  not  care  for  his 
own  safety  was  rather  illogical,  I  felt  no  very  great 
compunction  at  carrying  out  my  scheme  for  a  separa- 
tion between  us  iipon  the  first  opportunity.  That 
opportunity,  I  intended,  should  soon  happen,  for,  as 
the  adventure  with  the  snake  had  once  placed  the 
musket  in  my  hand,  I  managed  by  means  of  a  trifling 
excuse,  to  again  get  it  in  my  possession ;  indeed,  to 
my  surprise,  the  Burman  did  not  offer  the  least  objee- 


I   AM   CHASED    BY    A    SEKPENT.  81 

tion ;  the  reason  being,  perhaps,  that  he  thought  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  find  my  way  out  of  the 
dense  forest  into  which  we  had  now  entered  without 
his  guidance. 

As  we  advanced  into  the  forest  I  must  admit  that 
I  was  much  puzzled  to  account  for  his  change  of  man- 
ner, for  from  the  wary  guard,  who  had  watched  my 
almost  every  step,  glance,  and  movement,  he  had  be- 
come careless  as  to  my  movements,  and  as  obedient 
as  if  he  had  been  my  slave.  ' 

The  enigma,  however,  received  a  more  speedy  and 
unpleasant  solution  than  I  anticipated ;  for,  as  we 
were  riding  slowly  toward  a  thicket  of  bamboos, 
there  arose  a  loud  yell,  the  meaning  of  which  flashing 
across  my  mind  instantaneously,  I  felled  him  to  the 
ground  with  my  musket,  exclaiming — 

"Thou  wretch,  thou  hast  betrayed  me;"  but 
scarcely  had  the  words  left  my  lips  when  there  was 
a  rush  from  the  thicket,  a  heavy  weapon  fell  upon  the 
back  of  my  head,  and  I  became  senseless. 

I  do  not  think  I  could  have  remained  in  a  state  of 
unconsciousness  long;  for,  when  I  recovered,  I  found 
my  wrists  bound  tightly  together,  the  sensation  of 
blood  trickling  from  my  wound,  and  that  I  was  being 
carried  at  a  rapid  pace  through  the  wood.  How  far 
or  how  long  this  journey  lasted  I  know  not,  to  me 
the  distance  appeared  to  be  considerable ;  but  pain 
prolongs  time,  and  I  suffered  great  agony  from  my 
wound,  so  great  indeed,  that  I  must  have  again 
SAVOoned,  for  without  the  least  remembrance  of  a  halt, 
I  remember  only  finding  myself  lying  among  some 
6 


82  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

tall  rank  grass,  near  the  huge  hole  of  one  of  the  many 
teak  trees  which  nearly  encircled  a  glade.  In  my 
agony  I  suppose  I  must  have  groaned,  for  a  man 
coming  to  my  assistance,  unbound  my  wrists,  raised 
me  in  a  sitting  position  against  the  tree,  and  having 
tied  my  legs  together  with  a  cord,  the  end  of  which 
was  secured  to  the  tree,  put  ajar  of  water  and  some 
cold  boiled  rice  by  my  side,  and  without  a  word  left 
me  to  myself. 

The  severity  of  pain  becoming  lessened,  a  numb- 
ness ensued  which,  however,  became  relieved  by  a 
copious  draught  of  water.  The  refreshing  liquid 
seemed  also  to  give  me  new  life,  my  sense  of  hearing 
became  quicker,  my  eyes  brighter,  and  alas!  the 
sense  of  my  miserable  situation  far  greater.  I  could 
not  doubt  that  I  was  in  the  poAver  of  some  savage 
tribe,  on  its  way  to  or  from  the  army,  then  being 
raised  to  oppose  the  British  force. 

The  number  of  my  captors  amounted  to  fifty,  for, 
whimsically  enough  at  such  a  moment,  I  counted 
them  as  they  squatted  upon  the  ground  in  small  par- 
ties, and  ravenously  partook  of  their  fish,  rice,  and 
grapes,  or  pickled  tea.  A  minute's  observation 
showed  me  that  they  were  not  mere  raw  recruits, 
but  soldiers  who  had  pitched  their  bivouac  for  the 
night,  which,  by  the  way,  as  it  was  fast  drawing  upon 
us,  proclaimed  the  length  of  time  I  must  have  re- 
mained senseless;  observing  that  I  was  looking  at 
them  so  intently,  the  officer  of  the  party  sent  a  soldier 
to  stand  over  me  as  sentinel.  Then  the  thought  oc- 
curred  to  me  that,  if  I  pretended  not  to  understand  a 


I   AM   CHASED   BY   A   SERPENT.  83 

word  of  the  Barman  tongue,  they  would  converse 
together  freely,  and  thus  I  might  glean  some  informa- 
tion as  to  their  intentions.  Accordingly  I  addressed 
a  few  words  in  English  to  my  guard ;  and  although 
he  did  not  understand  them,  he  made  me  compre- 
hend their  intentions  toward  me  in  the  event  of  my 
attempting  to  run  away,  by  pointing  in  the  distance 
with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  drew  a  long- 
knife  across  his  throat. 

The  pain  in  my  head  returning,  I  leaned  backward 
against  the  tree ;  when  the  soldier,  perhaps  believing 
that  I  sought  to  sleep,  and  that  a  long  rest  might 
give  me  sufficient  strength  to  relieve  one  of  his  com- 
rades from  the  trouble  of  carrying  me  on  the  next 
march,  left  me  to  rejoin  his  companions.  Then,  for 
the  first  time,  I  bitterly  regretted  I  had  learned  the 
Burmese  language;  for,  from  the  earnest  conversa- 
tion which  took  place,  I  found  they  intended  to  carry 
me  the  next  day  before  the  Maha  Silwa,  the  most 
savage  of  the  Burman  commanders,  a  man  Avhose 
hatred  to  Europeans  was  so  intense  that  he  had 
offered  a  large  sum  for  every  one  taken  alive,  that  he 
might  have  the  savage  satisfaction  of  witnessing  their 
death  by  torture.  Then,  as  if  to  add  to  my  mental 
agony,  my  memory  brought  vividly  before  me  the 
horrible  cruelties  the  Burmese  chiefs  had  been  known 
to  practice  upon  their  unfortunate  captives ;  one  in- 
stance, especially,  that  of  a  brave  English  colonel, 
who  had  been  discovered  by  his  brothers  in  arms, 
crucified,  head  downward,  in  one  of  their  pagodas, 


84:  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

from  which  the  General  named  by  my  captors  had 
been  driven  by  assault. 

Terrible  as  was  the  prospect  before  me,  I  believe, 
it  sharpened  my  wits,  for  the  shudder  at  the  idea  of 
death  by  slow  torture  becoming  softened,  I  began 
to  ponder  what  could  be  done — nothing,  but  place 
my  trust  in  Providence  and  watch  my  opportunity. 
And  here  let  me  impress  upon  you  that  nothing  but 
my  great  faith  in  the  goodness  of  the  Almighty  could 
have  kept  me  sane  that  night ;  that  faith  soothed  my 
spirits,  giving  me  a  feeling  of  calm  determination,  a 
feeling  I  can  compare  to  nothing  but  that  which  it 
certainly  was  not — apathy;  for  out  of  it  arose  the 
hope  that  saved  me. 

If  by  my  knowledge  of  their  tongue  I  was  punished 
as  listeners  are  said  to  be  punished,  namely  by  hear- 
ing no  good  of  myself,  I  also  heard  news  that  made 
me  joy  for  Englishmen.  That  day  a  battle  had  been 
fought  with  our  troops,  who  had  forced  the  Burmans 
far  into  the  jungle,  there  to  await  the  arrival  of  rein- 
forcements. 

Then  I  smiled  as  I  heard  these  rude  men  describe 
the  English  soldiers  as  a  kind  of  devils,  who  could 
not  be  killed,  and  who  no  sooner  lost  an  arm  or  leg 
than  their  doctors  replaced  them  immediately.  More- 
over, I  learned  they  were  expecting  the  arrival  of 
some  comrades,  who  were  to  bivouac  with  them. 
This  arrival  happened  almost  as  they  spoke,  for  sud- 
denly I  heard  a  great  yelling,  which  was  vociferously 
answered  by  my  captors,  who  in  a  few  minutes  were 
joined  by  a  party  heavily  laden  with  hampers,  bun 


I   AM   CHASED   BY    A    SERPENT.  85 

dies,  baskets,  and  to  my  surprise,  a  couple  of  rifles. 
The  satisfaction  of  both  parties  at  meeting  appeared 
mutual,  although  words  cannot  express  the  delight 
of  my  captors  when  they  saw  before  them  salted 
beef,  porlc,  barrels  of  biscuit,  bottled  beer,  wine,  and 
several  large  kegs  of  spirits. 

To  me,  the  sight  of  these  things  brought  grief,for  I 
knew  that  they  must  have  formed  part  of  the  stores 
of  some  English  regiment,  and  feared  that  my  coun- 
trymen had  met  with  a  defeat,  which  I  afterward 
discovered  was  not  the  case,  but  that  the  party  had 
been  fortunate  enough  to  surprise  a  badly-escorted 
wagon  party. 

The  new  comers  formed  a  portion  of  the  most  re- 
markable corps  of  the  Burman  army,  an  institution 
in  itself.  These  "  Invulnerables " — for  such  is  the 
title  they  bear — are  picked  from  the  population,  and 
distinguished  from  the  other  troops  by  their  shorter 
hair,  the  more  exquisite  finish  of  the  illustrations  upon 
their  legs,  of  elephants,  tigers,  and  other  animals, 
and  the  precious  stones  or  pieces  of  gold  beneath  the 
skin  of  their  arms,  and  which  are  inserted  during 
childhood. 

By  their  countrymen,  and  themselves,  these  poor 
creatures  are  believed  to  be  invulnerable;  a  conceit 
which,  although  somewhat  taken  out  of  them  by  the 
British  soldiers  and  sailors,  they  found  it  necessaiy  to 
keep  up  during  the  war ;  indeed,  it  is  recorded  that 
throughout  the  whole  contest  the  Invulnerables  were 
found  defending  the  stockades,  their  duty  being  to 
exhibit  the  war-dance  of  defiance  upon  the  part  of  the 


86  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

works  most  exposed  to  the  murderous  fire  from  the 
English  guns,  in  order  to  infuse  courage  and  enthu- 
siasm into  the  breasts  of  the  Burmese  troops ;  and 
that,  when  at  length  their  belief  in  their  invulnerabil- 
ity became  a  little  shaken  by  the  English  troops,  the 
Burman  commander  endeavored  to  revive  it  by  the 
free  supply  of  opium. 

However,  the  arrival  of  these  military  mountebanks 
with  their  plunder  of  British  stores,  revived  my  hope 
of  escape,  for,  from  their  surfeit,  I  thought  I  might 
obtain  my  liberty,  although  how,  or  by  what  means, 
I  could  not  comprehend.  Still,  pretending  to  sleep, 
I  watched  their  movements  narrowly. 

A  fire  being  kindled  around  a  few  large  stones, 
hampers  were  opened,  and  the  viands  placed  in  the 
flames  ;  and  then,  while  so  absorbingly  engaged,  some 
cooking,  others  standing  by  with  their  mouths  water- 
ing at  the  prospective  treat,  I  heard  a  groan,  which 
sounded  as  if  it  came  from  one  of  the  packages  which 
the  Invulnerables  had  thrown  upon  the  ground  a  few 
yards  from  me. 

Keeping  my  eyes  fixed  upon  this  package,  in  a  few 
minutes  I  saw  it  move.  It  was  a  human  being,  bound 
hand  and  feet,  with  his  head  and  legs  so  bent  together 
that  he  resembled  a  ball. 

The  groan  being  heard  by  the  officer  of  the  Invul- 
nerables, he  whispered  to  one  of  his  men,  who  imme- 
diately ran  to  the  poor  captive,  untied  his  arms,  and 
brought  him  to  a  tree  near  to  me,  and  there  left  him ; 
but  so  long  had  the  poor  fellow  been  tied  in  that  un- 
natural position,  that  it  was  some  time  before  he  could 


I   AM   CHASED   BY   A    SERPENT.  87 

even  stretch  out  his  hand  or  leg.  Like  myself,  fastened 
by  the  waist  to  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  his  legs  were  lit 
liberty ;  but  as  his  back  was  turned  toward  me,  I 
could  not  discern  his  face.  Then  he  called  piteously 
for  water ;  the  language  Burman,  and  the  voice  was 
familiar  to  me.  I  watched  anxiously  to  obtain  a 
glance  at  his  features.  When  the  water  was  brought, 
he  turned  his  face  toward  me,  and  I  at  once  recog- 
nized the  features  of  an  acquaintance. 


gg  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WHEREIN  I  AM  NEARLY  BITTEN  TO   DEATH,  AND  WIT- 
NESS THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  A  SERPENT  BY  A  MONKEY. 

"  Naon  Myat  S"  I  muttered,  in  surprise. 

r    "Lord  of  heaven!  who  speaks?"  he  ejaculated  in 

broken  Euglish. 

"  The  young  sahib  Oliver,"  I  replied ;  adding,  "but 
Bpeak  low,  and  in  English ;"  for,  although  the  soldiers 
were  just  squatting  down  to  their  feast,  I  feared  to 
arouse  their  attention. 

"Heaven  be  praised,  then,  the  sahib  is  alive." 
"     "Hush!  they  are  looking  this  way,"  I  said,  and 
then  in  silence  we  gazed  anxiously  and  earnestly  upon 
a  scene  which,  but  that  it  led  to  our  liberty,  I  would 
not  now  relate. 

While  some  placed  huge  pieces  of  meat  upon  the 
stones  in  the  fire,  awaiting  only  till  it  was  half-warmed 
before  they  snatched  it  off  and  commenced  eating ; 
others,  the  greater  part,  divided  the  food  with  their 
knives,  and  fell  to  eating  like  a  herd  of  half-starved 
■wolves.  Indeed,  the  treat  before  them  was  such  an 
one  they  had  never  before  enjoyed.  To  their  appe- 
tites, therefore,  temperance  was  out  of  the  question. 
Men  with  the  voraciousness  of  wild  beasts — it  was 
fearful ;  but  still  I  prayed  that  their  hunger  might 
be  followed  by  as  deep  a  thirst.    It  was ;  kegs  of 


A   SERPENT   AND   A   MONKEY.  89 

rum  were  broached,  and  they  drank  till  they  reeled 
against  each  other.  Then  a  man  shouted  with  joy, 
for  he  had  discovered  a  prize  in  the  shape  of  a  large 
case  of  French  liqueurs,  the  property  of  some  luxurious 
English  officer.  The  savage  sipped,  the  flavor  was 
new,  and  he  danced  with  insane  and  sensual  delight. 
Then  the  whole  party  of  already-intoxicated  brutes 
followed  his  example,  and,  having  once  tasted,  could 
not  restrain  themselves ;  so,  sipping,  sipping,  till  they 
could  sip  no  longer,  they  rolled  one  after  the  other 
in  deep  drunken  sleep  upon  the  ground. 

It  was  a  disgusting,  a  fearful  sight.  The  cold  pale 
light  of  the  brightly-shining  moon,  mixing  with  the 
lurid  flames  of  the  fire,  shed  a  ghastly  hue  over  the 
faces  of  the  senseless  brutes  that  makes  me  shudder 
now  even,  while  I  recal  the  scene  to  my  memory. 

Still  I  felt  my  opportunity  had  arrived,  and  rejoiced ; 
but,  alas !  I  was  tied  to  the  tree ;  fortunately,  how- 
ever, the  savage  who  had  bound  me  had  performed 
his  task  carelessly.  A  single  jerk  loosened  the  cord, 
so  that  I  could  crawl  toward  my  fellow-captive,  who, 
hopeless  of  escape,  was  gazing  steadfastly  at  the  re- 
volting scene,  and  who,  when  in  a  soft  voice  I  pro- 
nounced his  name,  exclaimed  with  fear, 

"  The  Lord  of  heaven  save  me !" 

"  Hush  !  it  is  the  sahib  Oliver,"  I  replied. 

"True!  the  Lord  be  thanked,  it  is  the  young 
sahib,"  said  he. 

"  There  is  hope,  Naon.'11 

"  The  Sahib  is  right.  Yes,  while  there  is  life  there 
is  hope,"  he  replied,  despondingly. 


90  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"Let  us  escape,  then,  Naon." 

"  It  is  not  impossible.  Oh,  sahib,  I  am  tied  to  this 
tree." 

"  True  ;  but  your  hands  and  feet  are  free,  you  can 
unfasten  the  cord  around  my  legs,"  said  I,  lying  upon 
my  back,  and  placing  my  feet  upon  his  breast. 

A  minute  of  painful  anxiety,  lest  one  of  the  soldiers 
might  awake,  and  my  legs  were  at  liberty.  A  glow 
— a  vigor  ran  through  my  whole  frame ;  in  another 
minute  I  had  performed  a  similar  service  for  Naon, 
and  we  were  both  free,  mutely,  thanking  that  Provi- 
dence to  which,  and  that  vice  drunkenness,  which 
slays  both  mentally  and  physically  more  thousands 
than  the  sword,  pestilence,  or  famine,  we  owed  our 
liberty. 

Stealthily  creeping  by  the  stupified  slaves  of  the 
bottle,  I  seized  a  rifle  and  a  flask  of  the  liqueur — the 
first  for  our  protection,  the  latter  as  a  medicine  that 
might  restore  our  exhausted  strength.  The  thoughts 
of  my  fellow-captive  were  bent  on  revenge;  for, 
snatching  up  a  naked  sword,  the  next  instant  he  would 
have  plunged  it  into  the  body  of  the  sleeping  chief, 
had  I  not  caught  his  descending  arm,  whispering  at  the 
same  time,  "Idiot,  you  will  arouse  them — follow 
softly." 

Thus  recalled  to  a  sense  of  the  folly  he  had  been 
about  to  commit,  he  followed  me — where,  I  knew 
not,  thought  not ;  but  for  some  minutes  we  ran  through 
the  tall  rank  grass.  We  reached  the  thick  wood 
again.  I  could  go  no  further,  I  clung  to  a  tree  for 
support ;  Naon  fell  prostrate.     Pain  and  exhaustion 


A   SERPENT   AND   A  MONKEY.  91 

■were  our  masters ;  not  even  the  horror  of  being  re- 
taken, if  we  remained  in  that  spot,  could  lend  us 
strength  sufficient  to  advance  further.  Fortunately, 
I  thought  of  the  flask  of  liquor.  I  broke  the  neck 
against  a  tree,  drank,  and  was  revived.  I  poured 
some  of  the  liquid  down  my  companion's  throat ;  it 
had  the  same  effect  upon  him.  Thus,  with  renewed, 
if  but  borrowed,  strength,  we  hastened  through  the 
forest,  which  for  a  mile  or  two  was  but  scantily 
wooded ;  and  then,  as  we  proceeded,  dwindled  in  size, 
imtil  brushwood  seemed  to  have  taken  the  place  of 
trees.  Still  onward  as  fast  as  our  weakness  would 
permit.  The  ground  became  more  moist.  This, 
however,  in  our  fear  of  being  overtaken,  we  heeded 
not ;  no,  not  even  when  the  moistness  had  become  a 
swamp.  Suddenly  Naon  called  out ;  doubtlessly  we 
were  being  pursued ;  death  rather  than  be  again  in 
the  hands  of  the  savages,  and  like  a  startled  hare  I 
sprang  forward,  and  found  myself  head  foremost  in  a 
bog.  I  had  yet  strength  to  recover  my  feet,  but  my 
presence  of  mind  forsook  me  when  I  felt  that  I  was 
in  a  quagmire,  sinking  inch  by  inch.  I  had  sunk  to 
my  waist,  when  Naon,  by  an  effort  more  of  will  than 
physique,  succeeded  in  rescuing  me  from  a  death  too 
terrible  to  think  of  even  now  without  a  shudder  ;  and 
which  would  have  been  inevitable,  had  I  fallen  farther 
from  the  brink  of  the  treacherous  morass. 

"  You  have  saved  my  life,  Naon,"  I  exclaimed. 

"It  was  the  will  of  Heaven;  but,"  he  added,  "we 
are  safe — we  are  safe,  sahib ;  this  morass  is  not  far 
from  the  Carianers'  village." 


92  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  Far  or  near,  I  can  go  no  further  without  rest,"  I 
exclaimed. 

"  It  is  but  wisdom,  sahib,  for  nature  will  hold  out 
no  longer,"  said  Naon,  philosophically;  and  there, 
upon  damp  grass,  near  the  edge  of  the  morass,  tired, 
exhausted,  we  laid  down — and,  in  spite  of  our  dan- 
ger, slept.  My  sleep,  however,  became  troubled,  for 
I  dreamed  we  had  again  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
Burman  soldiery,  who  were  putting  me  to  death  by 
rolling  me  down  a  hill  in  a  barrel  lined  Avith  dagger 
points,  the  pricking  of  which  awoke  me,  when  the 
cause  of  my  dream  became  more  evident  than  agree- 
able. My  arms  and  legs  were  spotted  with  the  small, 
hungry,  and  loathsome  leeches  which  infest  the 
marshes  of  Pegu. 

"Naon,  Naon!  the  beasts  are  sucking  me  to 
death,"  I  exclaimed,  endeavoring  to  tear  one  off  my 
skin. 

"  The  sahib  must  not  touch  them,  or  they  will  bleed 
him  to  death,"  exclaimed  Naon,  looking  aghast,  and 
fearing  to  pull  them  off;  knowing,  as  he  did,  that,  if 
thus  removed,  dangerous  ulcers  would  ensue. 

"But  this  is  unbearable.  What  is  to  be  done, 
Naon  ?"  I  said,  almost  crying  with  pain. 

"  Tombakoo — tombakoo,"  replied  he,  pointing  to  a 
field  within  a  short  distance. 

I  comprehended  his  meaning.  It  was  a  tobacco- 
field,  where,  fortunately  for  me,  the  plant  was  not 
only  plentiful,  but  blackening  to  ripeness.  Gathering 
some,  and  having  well  moistened  it,  Naon  poured  the 
juice  upon  the  vampires,  who,  to  my  great  delight — 


A    SEKFENT    AND   A    MONKEY.  93 

for  the  attachment  was  entirely  on  one  side — dropped 
oft'  one  by  one,  leaving  me,  however,  in  a  very  unen- 
viable state,  for  the  bleeding  did  not  entirely  cease 
for  some  hours  afterward. 

The  most  curious,  and  to  you,  I  have  no  doubt,  in- 
teresting part  of  this  adventure  will  be,  to  be  told  that 
these  dangerous  reptiles  have  little  in  common  either 
with  the  horse-leeches  or  those  used  by  medical  men 
in  this  country.  They  are  of  a  dark  speckled  color, 
and  not  larger  than  a  blood-worm ;  neither  do  they 
crawl  like  the  leeches  I  have  named,  but  move  for- 
ward by  a  series  of  jerkings,  by  first  fixing  their  head 
on  a  spot,  and  bringing  their  tail  up  to  it  by  a  sudden 
jerk,  while  at  the  same  time  their  head  is  thrown 
forward  for  another  grip ;  thus,  their  movements  are 
so  quick,  that  before  they  are  perceived  they  contrive 
to  get  up  one's  clothes  and  fix  upon  the  skin ;  and 
that  too,  easily,  through  the  light  thin  clothes  worn 
in  an  Indian  climate. 

Perhaps,  however,  the  best  notion  I  can  give  you 
of  the  danger  pedestrians,  and  even  equestrians,  have 
to  fear  from  these  insects,  will  be  in  the  words  of  a 
recent  traveler  through  a  neighboring  country  where 
they  abound.  He  writes :  "  In  marching  through 
the  narrow  paths  among  the  woods,  we  were  terribly 
annoyed  by  these  vermin ;  for,  whenever  any  of  us 
sat  down,  or  even  halted  for  a  moment,  we  were  sure 
to  be  immediately  attacked  by  multitudes  of  leeches ; 
and  before  Ave  could  get  rid  of  them  our  gloves  and 
boots  were  filled  with  blood.  This  was  attended 
with  no  small  danger ;   for  if  a  soldier  were,  from 


94  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

t 

drunkenness  or  fatigue,  to  fall  asleep  no  the  ground, 
he  must  have  perished  hy  bleeding  to  death.  On 
rising  in  the  morning  I  have  often  found  my  bed- 
clothes and  skin  covered  with  blood  in  an  alarming 
manner." 

This  was  sufficiently  annoying ;  but  the  same  trav- 
eler then  adds :  "  The  Dutch,  in  their  marches  into 
the  interior,  at  different  times  lost  several  of  their 
men ;  and  on  setting  out,  they  told  us  we  should 
hardly  be  able  to  make  our  way  for  them.  But 
though  we  were  terribly  annoyed,  we  all  escaped 
without  any  serious  accident.  Other  animals,  as  well 
as  man,  are  subject  to  the  attack  of  these  leeches. 
Horses,  from  their  excessive  plunging  and  kicking  to 
get  rid  of  these  creatures  when  they  fasten  upon 
them,  render  it  very  unsafe  for  any  one  to  ride  through 
the  woods  of  the  interior." 

For  two  reasons  did  I  rejoice  at  the  discovery  of 
this  tobacco-field.  First,  that  it  had  in  all  probability 
saved  my  life ;  and,  secondly,  because  it  was  a  sure 
sign  of  the  proximity  of  some  village  where  I  might 
rest  until  sufficiently  restored  to  strength  to  hasten 
on  my  mission  for  the  relief  of  my  friend  Mr.  Johnson 
and  my  fellow-countrymen.     Thus,  I  said — 

"  The  village  of  Carians,  of  which  you  spoke,  must 
be  near ;  shall  we  be  safe  in  their  hands,  Naon  ?" 

"  Let  the  sahib  stretch  his  eyes  across  those  rice 
swamps,"  said  Naon. 

"  I  did,  and  in  the  distance  saw  enough  to  convince 
me  that  our  hopes  of  resting  within  human  habitation 
were  futile,  at  least  for  the  present,  for  there  were 


A    SERPENT    AND   A    MONKEY.  95 


but  the  traces  of  a  village — the  mere  charred  remains 
of  huts,  from  which  a  dark  smoke  ascended. 

"  The  village  has  been  destroyed — the  English  army- 
must  be  at  hand,"  I  exclaimed. 

"It  is  not  so,  sahib;  the  village  has  been  burned 
by  a  Burman  general  on  his  march  to  Rangoon,  and 
the  people  with  their  cattle  driven  further  into  the 
interior ;  so  that,  should  the  British  venture  so  far 
from  the  sea,  they  may  find  neither  food  nor  shelter," 
said  Naon. 

"Truly,  then,  all  that  we  can  do  is,  to  reach  the 
nearest  point  of  the  Irrawaddy  as  best  we  may,"  said 
I,  resolved  to  make  the  attempt,  notwithstanding 
that  I  could  only  walk  by  the  aid  of  the  rifle. 

"  It  would  be  wiser  to  jump  into  the  mouth  of  the 
first  tiger  or  crocodile  we  may  find,  sahib ;  for,  from 
Ava  to  Rangoon,  the  Irrawaddy  is  crowded  with 
war-boats  filled  with  troops  on  their  way  to  join  the 
army  of  the  Maha  Bandoola." 

"War-boats    or    no   war-boats,   I   will   endeavor 
ISTaon." 
to   force  my   way  to   the  English   fleet    or   army, 

"  It  would  be  wiser  to  enter  the  lair  of  a  she  tiger ; 
for  since  Rangoon  was  entered  by  the  English,  the 
whole  surrounding  country  has  been  occupied  by  the 
soldiers  of  the  Bandoola." 

"  Rangoon  taken  ?  the  English  prisoners  are  then 
rescued,"  said  I,  at  once  thinking  of  my  friend. 

"  It  is  not  so,  sahib ;  for,  before  the  British  could 
force  the  stockade  which  surrounded  the  city,  the 
native  inhabitants  were  all  driven  into  the  jungle."' 


06  THE   "WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

"But  the  European  prisoners,  the  sahib  Johnson!" 
I  exclaimed,  in  an  agony  of  impatience. 

"  Were  heavily  ironed,  and  sent  in  a  war-boat  to 
Ava." 

"  But  the  sahib  Johnson  ;  do  you  know  aught  of 
him  ?  Surely  they  would  not  torture  the  friend  of 
the  Prince  of  Prome  with  irons." 

"Listen,  sahib:  thy  servant  is  the  slave  of  the 
king's  brother,  and  so,  although  more  Portuguese 
than  Burman,  and  moreover  a  Christian,  the  governor 
released  him  from  the  stocks.  Yet  when  he  became 
so  unwise  as  to  attempt  to  aid  the  sahib  Johnson  to 
escape  from  the  Shoe  Dagon,  and  was  discovered,  the 
governor  ordered  him  to  be  ironed  and  sent  to  Ava 
with  the  Europeans,"  said  Naon. 

"  Then  how  did  you  escape  ?"  said  I. 

"  By  giving  the  chief  of  the  boatmen,  who  were 
to  take  us  to  Ava,  a  piece  of  gold ;  in  return  for 
which,  during  the  night,  he  closed  his  eyes  and  ears 
while  I  swam  ashore ;  reaching  which,  I  at  once  re- 
solved to  make  my  way  through  Avood  and  jungle  to 
the  petroleum  wells  at  Yenangyoung." 

"What,  on  foot,  without  food,  or  a  gun  where- 
with to  procure  it  ?  Truly  it  was  a  brave  resolve," 
said  I. 

"  I  trusted  to  the  hospitality  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  first  village  of  Carians  at  which  I  should  arrive ; 
but  alas !  my  path  was  crossed  by  the  savages  from 
whom  the  sahib  last  night  rescued  me." 

"  Bah !  Naon,  do  not  mention  that  again,  for  the 
aid  was  mutual ;  but  let  us  resolve  what  to  do." 


A    SERPENT   AND   A   MONKEY.  97 

"  Let  us  proceed  at  once  to  Yenangyoung,"  said 
he. 

"  Impossible,  for  we  have  neither  food  nor  ammuni- 
tion, without  which  it  would  be  as  dangerous  to  en- 
counter the  beasts  of  the  forests  as  to  attempt  to 
reach  Rangoon  through  the  native  army,  whose  war- 
boats  now  cover  the  river  and  separate  us  from  that 
city,"  said  I. 

"  The  sahib  will  have  powder  and  bullets  enough 
for  the  journey,"  said  he,  smiling,  and  pulling  from 
his  jacket  a  pouch  of  ball-cartridges  which  it  appeared 
he  had  snatched  from  the  ground  where  it  had  been 
thrown  by  the  soldiers. 

"  The  possession  of  this  alters  the  case ;  so  now 
lead  on,  Naon,  and  I  will  foUow — that  is,  as  far  as  my 
legs  will  carry  me,"  I  said ;  and  Naon  led  the  way, 
once  more,  into  the  jungle ;  but  in  a  different  direc- 
tion from  that  in  which  we  had  escaped. 

"  Stay,  Naon,"  I  said,  as  the  jungle,  tall  grass,  and 
forest  in  the  distance  reminded  me  of  tigers,  snakes, 
and  other  any  thing-but-hospitable  inhabitants  of 
those  wild  regions ;  "  let  us  load  the  rifle." 

"  Hush !  not  wise,  sahib.  To  fire  it  in  any  ex- 
tremity now  would  be  to  bring  upon  us  some  strag- 
gling party,  in  whose  hands  we  should  be  but  little 
better  than  in  the  mouths  of  tigers,  which  beasts  we 
have  a  good  chance  of  avoiding  till  nightfall,  when  it 
will  be  time  enough  to  load." 

Although  it  was  not  without  hesitation  that  I  fol- 
lowed this  advice,  I  soon  had  proof  of  its  wisdom ; 
for  scarcely  had  we  left  the  jungle  and  entered  the 
1 


98  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

forest  than  we  heard  the  sound  of  distant  voices  and 
the  beating  of  tomtoms. 

"The  lord  of  heaven  help  us,  for  we  cannot  escape," 
said  Naon. 

"  Load  the  rifle,"  I  said,  snatching  the  pouch  from 
his  arm,  around  which  it  was  slung. 

"  It  is  destruction,  sahib,"  said  he. 

"  Then  let  us  hide  here,"  said  I,  pointing  to  some 
tall  grass  between  two  large  banyan  trees ;  but  as  I 
spoke  the  chattering  of  strange,  unearthly  voices  met 
my  ears,  and  two  small  branches  fell  upon  my  head. 
Looking  upward,  however,  and  not  seeing  any  thing 
to  alarm  me,  I  was  about  to  crawl  among  the  grass, 
when  Naon  exclaimed, — 

"No;  no,  sahib;  the  snakes,  the  tigers;  much  bet- 
ter climb  tree." 

"  Good  it  was  stupid  not  to  have  thought  of  that," 
I  replied,  and  the  next  minute  we  were  both  seated 
upon  a  large  branch  of  the  banyan,  hidden  among 
its  luxuriant  foliage.  Immediately,  however,  the  chat- 
tering increased  tenfold,  and  branch  after  branch 
continued  to  fall  in  succession  within  a  few  inches  of 
our  heads.  "  We  are  observed  ;  one  of  the  savages 
is  pelting  us  with  branches  of  the  tree !"  I  cried  out 
to  Naon,  in  alarm. 

"  It  is  only  a  hoonuman.  Look,  sahib,"  said  Naon 
pointing  to  some  branches  about  six  feet  above  us ; 
and,  notwithstanding  our  perilous  position,  I  could 
not  refrain  from  laughing ;  for  there,  in  the  most  gro- 
tesque attitudes,  chattering,  grinning,  with  their  long 
tails   pendant,  sat   at  least   half  a  dozen   monkeys, 


A   SERPENT   AND   A   MONKEY.  99 

the  largest  of  which  were  assiduously  pelting  us 
with  small  branches,  or  rather  twigs,  and  with  justice, 
for  had  we  not  invaded  their  domain?  Not  so 
amused,  however,  did  Naon  seem ;  he  was  too  well 
acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
woods  of  Pegu ;  for  even  when  the  sounds  of  the 
footsteps  and  tomtoms  of  the  Burman  soldiers  had 
become  lost  upon  our  ears,  he  still  seemed  disinclined 
to  move. 

"Let  us  descend,  Naon,"  said  I. 

"Not  wise  to  be  too  fast,  sahib  ;  we  arc  safe  here." 

"  But,"  I  replied,  "  the  Burmans  have  passed ;  and, 
moreover,  I  am  tired  of  being  pelted  by  these  brutes." 

"  A  tio-er  or  a  snake  must  be  near,  or  the  monkeys 
would  not  be  clinging  together  upon  that  branch. 
Let  us  watch,  sahib." 

Need  I  tell  you  that  Naon's  words  changed  my 
wish  to  descend ;  they  did  more,  they  caused  me  to 
strain  my  eyes;  yet  without  discovering  any  cause 
for  alarm,  till  Naon  said, — 

"Look,  sahib,  at  the  big  monkey;  her  eyes  are 
upon  something."    „ 

Naon  was  right;  the  animal  kept  her  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  ground,  all  the  time  chattering  and  tremb- 
ling with  evident  fear. 

"  Look,  sahib !  Lord  of  heaven,  it  is  a  hamadrya !" 
exclaimed  Naon. 

And  there,  among  the  lowermost  branches,  I  saw 
entwined  one  of  the  largest  of  those  dangerous  snakes 
from  which  I  had  but  a  short  time  previously  had 
such  a  narrow  escape ;  not  by  any  means  an  agreeea- 


100  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

hie  recognition  when  I  remembered  the  danger  of 
firing  at  the  reptile;  as  for  poor  Naon,  he  trem- 
bled till  his  lirnbs  shook  the  branches,  exclaiming 
softly, — 

"  Lord  of  heaven !  Lord  of  heaven !  sahib,  we  are 
as  good  as  dead." 

"  Stay,  Kaon !  the  reptile  seems  asleep ;  I  will  des- 
cend softly  and  crush  its  head  with  the  butt-end  of 
the  rifle." 

"  Stay,  sahib ;  stay,  the  hoonuman  will  save  us  the 
trouble." 

And  directly  afterward,  the  monkey  seeming  more 
than  half  convinced  that  its  natural  enemy  was  asleep, 
glided  gently  from  branch  to  branch  downward,  till 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  reptile  ;  then  stealthily  creep- 
ing near,  as  if  to  become  perfectly  sure  its  slumber 
was  not  simulated,  and  apparently  being  satisfied,  it 
crept,  if  possible,  still  more  noiselessly  toward  the 
snake,  and  at  a  dash  grasped  its  neck.  The  eyes  of 
the  startled  serpent  dilated,  it  thrust  forth  its  fangs 
and  made  contortions  with  its  huge  body.  It  was, 
however,  now  harmless  for  mischief,  and  that  its 
enemy  knew,  for  it  chattered  and  grinned  with 
delight,  even  looking  up  at  its  family  as  if  to 
invite  them  to  rejoice  in  its  triumph  over  their 
most  dreaded  foe ;  and  the  family  recognising  the 
signal,  seemed  about  to  descend  to  the  aid  of  their 
parent.  The  latter,  however,  knew  that,  although 
scotched,  the  snake  was  not  killed,  and  fearing  for 
the  safety  of  her  family,  looked  up  at  them,  and  chat- 
tered, as  much  as  to  say,  "  Wait  a  little ;  wait  a  little;" 


The  Monkey  and  the  Serpent.        Paire  100. 


A   SElirENT   AND   A   MOSTKEY.  101 

Then,  with  a  refinement  belonging  to  such  wild  beasts 
of  humanity  as  we  read  of  in  history,  and  sometimes 
in  newspapers,  who  are  so  de-humanized  as  to  find  a 
gratification  in  the  sufferings  of  their  fellow-beings, 
the  hoonuman — no  doubt  thinking  of  the  past  danger 
of  her  family — unloosened  its  grasp,  till  the  snake 
seemed  relieved ;  then,  closing  it  tighter  than  ever, 
with  miraculous  strength,  she  tore  the  snake  from  the 
branch  around  which  it  had  been  entwined,  and  run- 
ning to  the  stump  of  a  tree,  began  to  bruise  and 
grind  its  head,  chattering  all  the  while  at  its  writh- 
ings  and  struggles  under  the  torture ;  till,  sickened 
at  its  sufferings,  I  could  almost  have  slain  the  monkey 
who  was  performing  for  me,  no  less  than  itself  and 
family,  so  inestimable  a  service.  But  I  need  not 
tell  you  that  so  silly  a  notion  did  not  remain  long  in 
my  head. 

In  afe w  minutes,  more,  however,  the  serpent,  though 
not  killed,  was  deprived  of  its  poisonous  fangs,  and 
helpless,  when  the  young  monkeys -descended  the  tree, 
and  with  their  parent  exhibited  their  joy,  by  chat- 
tering and  throwing  the  snake  from  one  to  the  other, 
until,  seeing  us  descend,  they  scampered  up  a  tree, 
and  leaping  from  branch  to  branch,  soon  became  lost 
to  our  sight. 

Having  thus  received  so  much  benefit  from  one  of 
these  animals,  I  should  be  ungrateful  did  I  not  tell  you 
something  of  their  peculiarities,  for  which,  indeed,  I 
am  indebted  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wood,  who  tells  us  that 
the  hoonuman  or  entullus  monkeys,  "being  fully 
aware  that  they  are  held  sacred  by  the  Hindoos,  and 


102  THE   "WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

will  not  be  punished  for  any  delinquency,  take  up 
their  position  in  a  village  with  as  much  complacency 
as  if  they  had  built  it  themselves.  They  parade  the 
streets ;  they  mix  on  equal  terms  with  the  inhabit- 
ants ;  they  clamber  over  the  houses ;  they  frequent 
the  shops,  especially  those  of  the  pastrycooks  and 
fruit-sellers,  keeping  their  proprietors  constantly  on 
the  watch,  the  only  active  resistance  the  shopkeepers 
have  resource  to  being  by  covering  the  roofs  of  their 
shops  with  thorn-bushes." 

This  monkey,  in  fact,  was  deified  by  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  India,  chiefly,  it  is  supposed,  from  its 
resemblance  in  form  to  humanity.  Their  bodies  were 
supposed,  by  the  believers  in  the  Buddhist  supersti- 
tion of  the  transmigration  of  souls,  to  be  the  shrines 
of  human  souls  that  had  nearly  reached  perfection, 
and  thereby  made  their  habitations  royal.  Therefore, 
to  insult  the  hoonuman  is  a  crime  of  high  class  ;  while, 
to  kill  one,  is  equivalent  to  high  treason,  and  punished 
with  death  ;  indeed,  such  a  sacrilege  as  the  murder 
of  a  monkey  is,  or  was,  sufficient  to  raise  a  population 
against  the  offender ;  and  men  who  will  not  scruple 
to  assassinate,  or  torture,  or  even  leave  an  infirm  com- 
panion to  die  from  hunger,  thirst,  or  wild  beasts,  will 
consider  their  feelings  outraged  if  an  accident  happens 
to  one  of  these  creatures.  Therefore,  supposing  Mr. 
Monkey  to  be  fully  aware  of  all  this  feeling  in  his 
favor,  it  is  no  wonder  that  he  is  a  spoiled  child,  and, 
like  all  spoiled  children,  guilty  of  very  eccentric  and 
sometimes  very  wicked  tricks.  For  its  name  this 
animal  is  indebted  to  the  deity  Hoonuman,  who  is 


MONKEYS    HELD    SACRED.  103 

worshipped  by  the  Hindoos  under  the  form  of  an  ape, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  frequent  objects  of  their  adora- 
tion, almost  every  pagoda  having  this  figure  delinea- 
ted in  some  part  of  it. 


104:  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  Vm. 

A  SAD  STORY — ANTELOPE  SLATING A  HERMIT'S  CAVE. 

"We  have  had  a  narrow  escape,"  said  I,  as  we 
again  entered  the  path  from  which  we  had  diverged, 
in  order  to  avoid  meeting  the  Burmese  troops. 

"  The  Lord  of  heaven  he  praised  that  we  have  es- 
caped the  fangs  of  that  reptile,"  replied  Naon,  hut 
with  such  a  terrified  visage  that  I  said, — 

"  What,  ]STaon,  a  native  of  this  wild  country,  and 
yet  tremhle  at  the  sight  of  its  animals  ?" 

"  Truly,  a  hraver  man  than  Naon  Myat  might  fear 
the  fangs  of  the  snakes  of  Pegu,"  said  he ;  adding, 
mournfully,  "  to  a  snake,  sahib,  thy  servant  owes  his 
misfortunes ;  it  slew  his  father,  and  made  a  slave  of  a 
beloved  mother." 

"  Is  thy  history  too  painful  to  repeat  ?"  I  asked, 
with  excited  curiosity. 

"  First,  let  us  be  on  our  guard,"  said  he ;  then,  as 
I,  with  my  finger  upon  the  now  loaded  rifle,  he  with 
the  naked  SAvord  in  hand,  and  both  upon  the  alert 
for  the  sudden  spring  of  a  tiger,  journeyed  through 
the  forest,  he  told  me  his  history. 

"I  am  the  only  child,"  said  he,  "of  a  Portuguese 
merchant,  who,  having  married  a  Burmese  lady,  took 
up  his  residence  in  the  suburbs  of  Ava,  in  a  house 
built  of  the  exact  size  and  according  to  the  rules  laid 


A  SAD   STOKY.  105 

down  by  the  law  for  persons  of  his  rank  in  life ;  for 
to  erect  a  house  of  larger  dimensions  and  better 
decorations  than  that  prescribed  to  each  rank  is  to 
incur  the  penalty  of  death.  Well,  a  few  months 
after  I  had  reached  my  tenth  year,  as  my  father  was 
walking  in  his  grounds,  he  saw  the  hooded  head  of  a 
cobra  di  capello,  which  was  lurking  among  some 
tufts  of  grass.  Startled,  as  he  was,  at  the  sight  of 
this  venomous  reptile,  he  called  for  assistance.  By 
the  time,  however,  his  slaves  made  their  appearance, 
the  snake  had  glided  away  in  the  direction  of  an  out- 
house, in  which  it  disappeared ;  and  although  the 
greater  part  of  the  day  and  the  whole  of  the  night 
was  spent  in  the  search,  it  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 
"Now,  as  these  snakes  are  so  insidious  in  their 
movements,  that  when  once  hi  the  neighborhood  of  a 
house,  no  person  can  tell  when  or  where  he  may  be 
pounced  upon  by  the  reptile,  my  father  became  greatly 
alarmed  for  the  safety  of  my  mother  and  myself,  who 
were  constantly  in  or  near  the  house ;  so  much  so, 
that  he  offered  a  large  reward  for  its  discovery.  The 
report  of  this  reward  soon  brought  to  the  house  a 
"  samp  waller,"  that  is,  a  person  whose  business  it  is 
to  catch  serpents.  Well,  when  the  snake-catcher  was 
conducted  to  the  outhouse  where  the  reptile  had  hid- 
den, he  desired  that  he  might  be  left  to  himself,  in 
order  to  offer  up  a  prayer  for  his  success  to  '  Siva,' 
the  goddess  of  destruction.  Having  been  left  alone 
for  ten  minutes,  he  sounded  his  tom-tom  to  signify 
that  he  was  prepared  to  commence  operations,  when 
the  whole  family  repaired  to  the  outbuilding ;  and  to 


106  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

their  delight,  as  the  crested  head  of  a  cohra  thrust 
itself  forth  from  a  fissure  in  the  wall,  they  beheld  it 
grasped  by  the  samp  waller,  who  deposited  it  in  his 
basket,  received  the  reward,  and  went  on  his  way ; 
and  for  a  time  we  felt  happy  at  being  freed  from  the 
fangs  of  the  hidden  enemy  we  had  so  much  dreaded." 

"Surely  that  snake-catcher  should  have  been  well 
rewarded,"  said  I. 

"  He  should,  but  with  the  cost  of  his  miserable  life, 
were  I  to  meet  him,  sahib,"  replied  Naon,  savagely ; 
adding,  "listen  to  the  end.  Some  days  after,  my 
father  was  resting  near  that  outhouse  asleep,  a  strange 
hissing  sound  awakened  him.  Suddenly  his  foot 
rested  upon  the  body  of  a  snake.  It  was  the  spect- 
acled snake,  the  cobra,  which,  on  the  instant,  fixed 
its  fangs  in  his  leg.  Believing  in  the  certainty  of 
death,  but  determined  not  to  die  unavenged,  my 
father  seized  the  reptile  by  the  neck,  dashed  its  head 
against  a  tree  till  its  venom  became  harmless,  ran 
into  the  pavilion,  where  my  mother  and  myself  were 
sitting,  and,  throwing  down  the  body,  exclaimed, 
'  Wife !  boy !  I  am  dying.  There  is  one  of  my  mur- 
derers, the  other  is  the  rogue  "samp  waller,"  who 
deceived  us  all.' " 

"  Surely  he  recovered ;  there  was  some  remedy," 
said  I,  so  excited  by  the  story  that  I  clutched  his 
arm. 

;  "  Not  so,  sahib ;  he  died  a  miserable  death.  The 
worst,  however  remains  to  be  told.  My  father's 
affairs  were  declared  to  be  so  disordered  that  there 
was  not  money  sufficient  to   pay  his   debts.     My 


A  SAD    STORY.  107 

mother — his  wife — therefore,  according  to  Barman 
law,  was  sold  by  the  creditors  as  a  slave,  since  which 
I  have  not  seen  her.  For  myself,"  he  added,"  after 
a  minute's  silent  grief  at  the  memory,  "  I  was  taken 
charge  of  by  an  American  merchant,  who  brought 
me  up  in  his  house,  and  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for 
speaking  your  language." 

"  Then  Naon  remained  silent  for  some  time,  and  I 
asked  him  no  more  questions  about  the  snake-catcher, 
who,  perhaps  you  may  know,  was  one  of  a  class  or 
caste  of  Hindoos  who  travel  Hindostan,  carrying,  as 
a  specimen  of  their  power  over  these  venomous  rep- 
tiles, a  small  basket  furnished  with  samples  of  deadly 
serpents,  which  they  would  have  it  believed  they 
have  tamed,  and.  to  whose  venom  they  endeavor  to 
prove  their  bodies  mysteriously  impervious  by  the 
following  performance : — 

There  are  generally  two  persons — a  samp  waller 
and  his  man.  The  man  holds  in  his  left  hand  a  small 
pipe  or  flute,  from  which  he  produces  a  discordant 
sound,  that  is  supposed  not  only  to  be  the  cause  of 
his  becoming  greatly  and  fantastically  excited,  but  to 
make  the  different  serpents  lift  their  crests,  and  en- 
circle his  body,  when  the  "  samp  waller"  or  snake- 
catcher  offers  to  the  reptile  his  naked  arm,  which  they 
seize  with  impetuous  eagerness  and  bite  till  the  blood 
runs  from  the  wounds  in  a  copious  stream,  notwith- 
standing which  they  are  compelled  to  appear  to  suffer 
no  inconvenience,  inasmuch  as  they  declare  themselves 
fated  to  resist  that  venom  which  would  be  fatal  to 
any  individual  not  of  their  own  caste. 


108  THE   WHITE  ELEPHANT. 

As  you  may  imagine,  but  few  persons  believe  in 
this  invulnerability.  Many,  however,  have  asserted 
that  these  men  have  a  mode  of  abstracting  the  poison 
from  the  fangs  before  exhibiting  them  to  the  public. 
Yet  this  is  improbable,  for  instances  are  not  un- 
common of  men  having  died  under  the  most  violent 
convulsions  within  an  hour  after  receiving  these  bites. 
With  regard  to  the  art  of  charming  serpents  from 
their  hiding-places  by  means  of  music,  it  has  been  be- 
lieved from  all  time.  The  man,  however,  who  had 
professed  to  catch  the  cobra  in  the  house  of  Naon's 
father  was  an  impostor,  who  practised  upon  the 
credulity  of  the  household,  for  the  cobra  which  made 
its  appearance  in  the  presence  of  the  family  had  been 
previously  introduced  into  the  fissure  during  the  time 
he  was  supposed  to  be  praying  to  Siva. 

Thus,  tramp  tramp,  with  listening  ears  and  open 
eyes,  which  turned  to  every  rustling  leaf,  sometimes 
upon  a  dry  sandy  ground,  but  chiefly  through  a  pes- 
tiferous swamp,  into  which  we  would  every  now  and 
then  sink  to  our  knees,  we  wended,  or  rather 
pushed  our  way  through  the  dense  forest,  at  times 
elated  at  the  appearance  of  an  opening  in  the  dis- 
tance— but  which,  when  reached,  proved  to  be  acres 
of  marsh  land,  from  which  shot  upward  a  forest 
of  tall  reeds,  through  which  the  tracks  of  tigers 
were  plainly  visible;  at  others,  through  tall  grass 
which  would  have  hidden  mounted  horsemen,  and 
here  and  there  beaten  into  circuitous  paths  by  the 
waving  form  of  some  serpent.  Thus,  till  we  started 
a  fine  antelope,  who,  first  gazing  at  us  as  if  with  aston- 


ANTELOPE    SLAYING.  109 

ishment,  suddenly  scampered  along  the  path,  turning, 
however,  now  and  then  to  gratify  a  curiosity  which, 
had  we  not  feared  the  report  of  the  rifle,  might  have 
cost  the  noble  animal  his  life,  and  provided  us  a  meal. 

"  That  beast  is  but  the  scout  of  a  herd ;  and  proves 
that  a  plain  is  at  hand,  sahib,"  said  my  companion. 

And  Ave  passed  onward  through  that  forest,  with 
its  noble  trees  of  sapan,  which  form  an  important 
item  in  the  trade  of  the  Hindoo-Chinese  countries ; 
the  mighty  teat,  which  rivals  the  oak  in  its  capacities 
for  ship-building  ;  great  oaks,  inferior  alone  to  those 
of  old  England;  the  pine-apple,  the  mango,  the 
plantain  ;  the  tamarind,  by  which  we  sustained  our- 
selves; the  cotton-trees;  the  mimosa  catechu,  from 
which  is  taken  the  catechu  or  terra-japonica,  which 
drug  is  obtained  by  boiling  the  wood  cut  down  into 
chips,  and  inspissating  or  thickening  the  produce  ;  and, 
lastly,  the  bamboo,  which  in  Pegu  grows  to  the  extra- 
ordinary girth  of  twenty-four  inches.  I  wonder — I 
have  often  wondered — that  among  the  multitude  of 
deities  in  the  heathendom  of  the  Malay  and  Indo- 
Chinese  races,  whose  numbers  are  estimated  at  more 
than  a  third  of  the  world's  population,  there  is  not 
one  to  be  found  dedicated  to  the  bamboo. 

To  the  bamboo  as  many  sonnets  have  been  penned 
in  the  East  as  to  ladies'  eyebrows  and  the  eyes  of  the 
gazelle.  It  is  life,  death,  food,  clothes,  everything ; 
post  a  and  walls  of  houses,  rafters,  floor,  and  thatch,  as 
well  as  the  withes  that  bind  them  together  ;  scaffold- 
ing ladders,  landing-jetties,  fishing  apparatus,  irriga- 
tion wheels,  scoops,  oars,  masts,  sails,  spars,  arrows, 


110  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

hats,  helmets,  bow,  bowstring  and  quiver,  oil-cans, 
water-stoups,  cooking-pots,  pipe-sticks,  conduits, 
clothes-boxes,  paint-boxes,  dinner-trays,  pickles,  pre- 
serves, and  melodious  musical  instruments  ;  torches, 
footballs,  cordage,  bellows,  mats,  paper ;  and,  indeed, 
so  many  other  articles  that  it  would  require  an  entire 
chapter  to  record  them.  It  may  surprise  you  to  be 
told  that  the  bamboo  makes  capital  soup — about 
which,  by  the  way,  the  Chinese  have  a  story.  "  A 
certain  Mang  sung,  when  young,  lost  his  father,  his 
mother  was  very  sick ;  and  one  winter's  day  she 
longed  to  taste  a  soup  of  bamboo  sprouts,  but  Mang 
could  not  procure  any.  At  last  he  went  into  the 
groves  of  bamboo,  clasped  the  trees  with  his  hands 
and  wept  bitterly ;  his  filial  affection  moved  nature, 
and  the  ground  slowly  opened,  sending  forth  several 
shoots,  which  he  gathered  and  carried  home.  Ho 
made  soup  of  them,  of  which  his  mother  ate,  and 
immediately  recovered  from  her  malady." 

Then,  as  we  entered  upon  a  wide  plain,  sending 
scampering  into  the  thickets  a  herd  of  antelopes, 
Naon  exclaimed,  "  Truly,  we  are  fortunate,  for  this  is 
the  Lain  river." 

"  Then  upon  its  banks  must  I  rest,  for  I  can  go 
no  further  to-night,"  said  I,  squatting  down  upon  tho 
short  grass. 

"  This  is  not  wise,  sahib,  for  it  is  to  the  river  that 
by  night  the  beasts  of  the  forest  prowl  to  slake  their 
thirst,"  said  Naon ;  adding,  "  Another  effort  and  we 
may  take  shelter  within  a  cave." 

"  A  cave !  Well,  that  is  at  least  worth  an  effort," 


ANTELOPE   SLAYING.  Ill 

said  I ;  and  getting  again  npon  my  legs,  I  followed 
Naon  along  the  banks  of  the  stream  by  the  side  of  a 
rocky  cliff  for  about  half  a  mile ;  when,  stopping  at 
some  thick  rushes,  he  said,  as  he  pulled  them  aside, — 

"  As  I  expected  ;  an  old  cave." 

Yes ;  once  the  den  of  a  tiger,  or  the  haunt  of 
snakes,"  said  I,  not  half  liking  its  appearance. 

"Let  us  send  a  messenger  to  see,"  he  replied,  taking 
the  rifle  from  my  hands  and  firing  it  into  the  mouth. 

There  was  a  long  reverberating  sound ;  fortunately 
nothing  more;  but  it  was  a  mad-headed  experiment, 
for,  had  it  proved  to  have  been  tenanted  by  a  tiger, 
nothing  could  have  saved  us  from  its  claws.  Being 
satisfied  that  the  cave  was  clear,  Naon  stealthily  en- 
tered ;  but,  to  my  surprise,  Avhile  I  groped  my  way, 
feeling  the  slimy  Avails,  and  every  now  and  then 
stumbled  upon  the  uneven  earth,  he  kept  as  steadily 
onward  as  if  he  had  been  accustomed  to  the  place ; 
but  so  exhausted  was  I  by  over-fatigue,  so  dark  the 
cave,  that  the  minute  passed  seemed  half  an  hour. 
Moreover,  I  must  confess  that  I  did  not  feel  supported 
by  my  usual  pluck,  and  I  said, — 

"  Stay,  Naon ;  let  us  return  to  the  forest  and  get  a 
bamboo  torch." 

"  The  sahib  overrates  his  strength ;  he  would  never 
reach  so  far.  Let  him,  however,  follow ;  and  if  his 
servant  is  not  mistaken,  we  shall  not  want  a  torch," 
he  replied;  and  in  another  minute  we  entered  an 
apartment  hewn  out  of  the  sandstone  rock,  and 
lighted  from  above  by  a  grating  of  about  two  feet 
square. 


112  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  Surely  this  has  been  the  habitation  of  a  human 
being,"  said  I. 

"  Such  it  formerly  was ;  and  in  this  place  thy  servant 
once  sought    refuge   from  a  storm    upon  this  river, 
which  is  a  branch  of  the  Irrawaddy,"  said  he  ;  adding 
"  But  let  the  sahib  rest  while  his    servant  goes   in 
search  of  a  ^nj)per." 

"  Supper,  here!"  And  as  I  thought  the  half  caste 
was  laughing  at  ine,  I  threw  myself  upon  the  floor 
in  no  very  good  humor. 

"  First  let  the  sahib  refresh  himself  with  the  Eng- 
lish liquor,"  said  he,  giving  me  the  flask — a  draught 
from  which  seemed  to  infuse  new  blood  into  my 
veins.  Naon  then  having  reloaded  the  rifle,  and  put 
a  single  cartridge  in  his  pocket,  gave  the  weapon  to 
me,  saying — "  Let  the  sahib  be  on  his  guard  while 
his  servant  goes  in  search  of  fuel,"  left  me  pondering, 
partly  upon  my  queer  fortunes,  and  partly  upon  my 
new  habitation ;  which  I  afterward  found  to  have 
been  formerly  the  retreat  of  a  Burman  priest,  who 
had  excavated  the  cave  with  his  own  hands,  and 
dwelt  therein  the  remainder  of  his  life,  preserving  no 
further  intercourse  with  his  fellow-creatures  than  that 
which  was  necessary  to  receive  his  food  by  means  of 
ropes  through  the  grating  above. 

By  the  way,  it  is  worthy  to  be  remarked  that 
although,  like  the  ascetics  of  Europe  during  the  Mid- 
dle Ages,  the  pious  Burman  holds  it  necessary  to 
mortify  the  flesh  by  the  voluntary  penance  of  abstemi- 
ousness and  self-denial,  he  does  not  inflict  upon  him- 
self the  disgusting  tortures  practised  by  the  Hindoos. 


a  hermit's  cave.  113 

Although  Naon  was  not  absent  for  half  an  hour,  the 
light  of  the  sun  had  become  changed  for  utter  dark- 
ness.  In  those  latitudes  there  is  no  twilight :  the 
change  from  lio;ht  to  darkness — if  there  be  no  moon — 
is  immediate,  so  that  I  gladly  hailed  the  return  of  the 
half-caste,  the  more  so  as  I  saw  that  he  brought  with 
him  a  torch,  which  he  had  made  by  saturating  a  stick 
of  bamboo  in  the  natural  oil,  which  exudes  from  the 
bark  of  the  forest-trees,  and  lighted,  by  means  of  the 
powder  in  the  cartridge,  also  a  large  bundle  of  fuel, 
i.e.,  a  kind  of  dried  moss,  and  small  clumps  or  branches 
of  teak  wood. 

"  Capital ;  for  if  we  are  obliged  to  go  through  the 
nio-ht  without  food,  we  shall  at  least  have  a  fire  to 
keep  off  the  beasts,"  said  I,  believing  the  fuel  was  for 
the  purpose  of  kindling  a  fire  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave. 

"  Stay,  sahib ;  we  will  have  a  meal,  too ;  some  good 


venison." 


"How,  Naoii?  you  are  laughing  at  me." 
"  Not  so,  sahib  ;  there  is  a  herd  of  antelopes  upon 
the  plain.     Heaven  has  sent  us  a  meal.     Let  the  sahib 
rest  till  his  servant  returns  ;"  and  Naon  would  have 
left  the  cave.     As,  however,  I  believed  him  to  be 
going  upon  some  dangerous  expedition,  I  was  deter- 
mined he  should  not  go  alone,  therefore,  not  heeding 
his  remonstrances,  I  walked,  or  rather  hobbled  after 
him  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  but  when  we  came 
near  the  plain  we  had  previously  traversed,  he  said, — 
"  Let  the  sahib  remain  here,  with  his  finger  upon 
the  trigger,  and  his  servant  will  speedily  return  with 
a  deer." 
8 


114  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Compelled  by  exhaustion  to  comply,  I  sat  down 
upon  a  hillock  and  watched  his  movements,  but  pre- 
pared to  cover  him  with  my  rifle  should  he  not  go 
beyond  reach  of  gunshot.  With  naked  kreese  in  one 
hand,  and  in  the  other  a  blazing  torch,  which  he  flour- 
ished above  his  head,  he  crept  stealthily  along  for 
some  minutes ;  then  I  heard  the  sound  of  hoofs  scam- 
pering toward  me,  and  by  the  flames  from  the  torch 
I  could  see  a  herd  of  antelopes,  which,  like  moths  at- 
tracted by  the  light,  dashed  onward,  but  suddenly,  as 
if  suspecting  the  real  cause,  the  leader  of  the  herd 
stood  at  bay,  with  its  front  legs  thrown  forward ;  a 
minute  afterward,  however,  as  if  relieved  from  its 
suspicion,  the  gallant  deer  made  another  dash,  and,  as 
Naon  had  intended,  the  next  instant  fell  pierced 
through  the  heart  by  his  sword  blade,  when  the  dying 
shriek  of  the  beast,  and  the  shout  of  joy  from  the 
hunter,  sent  the  frightened  herd  scampering  across  the 
plain.  Naon,  however,  fearing  that  when  recovered 
from  their  first  alarm  the  noble  beasts  mio-ht  return 
to  the  attack,  caught  hold  of  the  hind  legs  of  the 
slaughtered  antelope  and  dragged  it  along  the  bank 
of  the  river  into  the  cave ;  and  although  I  felt  a  mo- 
mentary pang  of  sorrow  for  the  fate  of  the  animal, 
like  any  other  son  of  Adam  with  as  keen  an  appetite, 
I  became  consoled  when  I  saw  a  portion  of  its  flesh 
smoking  upon  a  large  stone  in  the  midst  of  the  fire 
which  ISTaon  kindled  in  the  centre  of  the  cave  just  be- 
neath the  iron  grating ;  which  fire,  by  the  way,  served 
not  only  to  dress  our  supper,  but  to  frighten  any  four- 
footed  visitors  who  might  have  been  tempted  by  the 


a  hermit's  cave.  115 

scent  of  the  blood  of  the  slain  antelope  to  follow  its 
track  into  our  retreat. 

Thus,  having  made  a  tolerable,  though  primitive 
meal,  for  the  sword  was  our  knife,  our  fingers  our 
fork,  and  a  piece  of  flat  stone  our  sole  dish,  we  threw 
fresh  fuel  upon  the  fire  and  sought  to  sleep,  an  attempt, 
however,  from  over-exhaustion — but  chiefly  from 
the  mosquitos  which  came  through  the  grating — ren- 
dered impossible,  more  especially  as  I  was  without  a 
cover  of  any  hind  for  my  face.  Although  it  is  said 
that  it  is  only  the  female  of  this  insect  that  bites,  she 
makes  up  for  any  deficiency  in  her  male  companion 
by  sucking  the  blood  in  such  a  severe  manner  as  to 
swell  and  blister  the  skin ;  indeed,  it  is  pretty  gener- 
ally known,  I  believe,  that  these  insects  are  found  in 
the  woods  in  such  swarms  that  whoever  enters  them 
is  sure  to  have  his  face  covered  so  that  he  is  scarcely 
able  to  see  his  way  before  him.  A  swelling  and  dis- 
agreeable irritation  of  the  skin  follows  the  puncture, 
which  is  succeeded  by  small  white  ulcers,  so  that  the 
face  is  scarcely  to  be  recognized ;  even  gloves  are  not 
always  found  a  protection  against  these  insects,  as 
their  stings  are  sufficiently  strong  to  pierce  through 
the  leather.  My  companion's  skin  must  have  been  a 
little  of  the  nature  of  the  hide  of  a  rhinoceros,  for  the 
mosquitos  did  not  prevent  him  sleeping.  When, 
however,  the  good-natured  fellow  awoke,  suddenly — 
perhaps  from  a  more  than  usually  severe  nip — and 
saw  me  sleepless,  he  said, — 

"  The  sahib  must  endeavor  to  sleep,  or  he  will  not 
be  fit  for  his  journey." 


116  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  It  is  not  possible  with  these  winged  brutes  fly- 
ing about,  and  nothing  over  my  face  and  hands," 
said  I. 

"  I  have  rested  sufficient,  let  the  sahib  cover  his 
face  with  this,"  said  he,  taking  off  the  handkerchief 
which  formed  his  head-dress. 

"  The  attempt  would  be  useless,  Naon ;  I  am  too 
tired  to  sleep." 

"  The  legs,  the  limbs ;  yes,  sahib,  but  not  here — 
not  tired  enough  here,"  he  replied,  touching  his  fore- 
head ;  then  adding — 

"  Did  the  sahib  ever  hear  the  story  of  the  Nine 
Princesses  of  the  Silver  Mountain  ?" 

"  It  is  a  Burman  play,"  said  I. 

"  Yes,  sahib ;  but  the  legend,  the  story.  If  the 
sahib  has  not  heard  it,  it  will  help  to  send  him  to 
sleep." 

"  Then  let  us  hear  it,  by  all  means,  my  good,  dear 
Naon,"  said  I,  laughing. 

Thus,  for  the  very  opposite  purpose  for  which  I 
shall  repeat  this  legend  did  Naon  tell  it  to  me,  namely, 
to  induce  sleep. 


rUINCESSES    OF   THE   SILVER   MOUNTAIN.        117 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE   NINE  PRINCESSES    OF  THE   SILVER   MOUNTAIN. 

Those  immortal  beings,  who,  for  their  perfection 
in  this  world,  have  been  raised  by  Guadama  to  the 
state  of  Nats,  or  good  spirits,  are  ruled  over  by  a 
king,  whose  glittering  palace  of  amber,  gold,  and 
rubies,  is  built  upon  the  Silver  Mountain — a  mountain 
invisible  too,  and,  except  by  magic,  unapproachable 
by  mortals,  for  it  hath  three  barriers,  namely,  a  belt 
of  prickly  cane,  a  stream  of  liquid  copper,  so  reful- 
gent that  no  human  being  can  gaze  upon  it  without 
becoming  instantly  blind — if,  indeed,  not  calcined — 
and  a  hideous  Beloo,  or  devil. 

"  Now,  "  once  upon  a  time,"  as  the  old  stories 
begin,  this  King  of  the  Nats  was  blessed  with  no  less 
than  nine  very  beautiful  daughters,  who,  either  becom- 
ing tired  of  the  eternal  monotony  of  Natdom,  or  being 
tainted  with  the  curiosity  of  their  mortal  sisters, 
begged  of  his  majesty  to  permit  them  to  go  upon 
earth  for  a  few  hours'  scamper ;  and  so  assiduously 
did  they  worry  and  torment  the  king,  as,  in  fact, 
none  but  pet  and  spoiled  young  ladies  can  torment 
and  worry,  by  what  they  are  pleased  to  believe  is 
only  coaxing,  that  their  papa,  like  many  another  fool- 
ish, good-natured  old  gentleman,  at  length  not  only 
granted  their  request,  but  gave  each  a  charmed  zone, 


118  THE    "WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"which  should  enable  her  to  cut  through  the  air, 
rather  with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow  than  the  grace 
of  the  antelope.  Thus,  having  obtained  their  wish, 
and  with  the  spirits  of  mortals,  to  whom  holidays  are 
a  novelty,  they  instantaneously  shot  down  like  falling 
meteors,  into  a  large  forest ;  and,  as  fortune  would 
have  it,  by  the  side  of  a  lake,  the  waters  of  which 
were  so  translucent  that  they  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  of  plunging  into  its  cool  refreshing  bosom, 
where,  for  hours,  they  continued  to  disport  themselves 
like  a  bevy  of  water  nymphs ;  although,  having  been 
born  and  educated  in  a  very  different;  element,  how 
they  learned  to  swim  with  the  grace  of  swans  must 
for  ever  remain  amongst  matters  undiscovered. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  the  very  forest  in  which 
these  ethereal  damsels  had  chosen  to  spend  their  holi- 
day, formed  a  portion  of  the  dominions  of  the  young 
King  of  Pyensa,  a  country,  by  the  way,  which  I  do  not 
think  you  will  find  in  the  map,  certainly  not  in  modern 
maps ;  however,  be  that  as  it  may,  it  has  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  my  story.  It  is  sufficient  to  tell 
you  that  the  king  had  not  long  ascended  the  throne, 
when  the  chief  of  his  astrologers,  by  some  magic 
power — beauty,  most  likely — managed  to  make  his 
royal  master  fall  in  love  with,  and  make  a  queen  of, 
his  only  daughter.  He  was  an  artful  man,  that  as- 
trologer, for  by  thus  securing  the  crown  to  his 
daughter,  he  hoped  to  secure  the  power  of  the  king 
in  his  own  hands,  and  he  succeeded. 

As,  however,  the  Prime  Minister,  Maha,  had  been 
in  office  so  many  years,  he  knew  the  character  of  all 


PRINCESSES    OF   THE    SILVER   MOUNTAIN-.         119 

persons  of  any  note  in  the  kingdom,  and  amongst 
others,  those  of  the  astrologer  and  his  daughter,  the 
new  queen :  and  as  what  lie  did  know  of  them  was 
not  by  any  means  to  their  advantage,  he  feared  for 
his  much-loved  master ;  and,  moreover,  with  greater 
honesty  than  prudence,  volunteered  a  remonstrance. 
Now,  although  this  presumption  much  vexed  the  king, 
he  was  under  such  obligations  to  the  old  minister, 
who,  in  fact,  had  been  the  chief  means  of  raising  him 
to  the  throne,  that  he  could  make  no  immediate  re- 
ply. Nevertheless,  much  enraged,  he  sought  the  ad- 
vice of  his  astrologer  and  father-in-law,  who  so  per- 
suaded the  young  monarch  that  the  following  day, 
when  the  whole  court  was  assembled,  pointing  through 
a  window  to  some  scaffolding  which  surrounded  a 
newly-erected  and  magnificent  pagoda,  the  king  said — 

"  Open  thy  lips,  oh  venerable  Maha,  and  tell  us 
what  the  workmen  do  with  the  scaffolding  when  the 
pagoda  is  finished." 

"  Is  it  possible,"  said  Maha,  falling  to  the  earth,  "  is 
it  possible  that  the  Golden  Lord  of  the  earth  can 
doubt  that  it  is  taken  down  and  carried  away  that  it 
may  not  obstruct  the  view  of  the  pagoda,  or  spoil  its 
beauty  ?" 

"Truly,"  replied  the  king,  "wisdom  alone  should 
proceed  from  the  lips  of  the  learned  Maha.  As  the 
workmen  have  used  that  scaffolding  to  build  the  pa- 
goda, so  have  I  made  use  of  you  to  ascend  the  throne. 
But  now  that  I  am  firmly  seated  your  presence  only 
disturbs  my  peace ;  therefore,  since  thou  hast  pre- 
sumed to  raise  thy   slave's  voice  against  our  chief 


120  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

queen,  yet,  remembering  your  past  services,  we  banish 
you  for  life  to  the  woods, — except,  O  Maha,  thou 
canst  bring  to  the  foot  of  our  throne  a  lady  who,  both 
in  virtue  and  beauty,  is  more  than  mortal." 

Thus  was  the  minister  driven  into  the  forest,  where, 
by  hunting  and  fishing,  he  was  to  subsist  the  remain- 
der of  his  life.  One  day  a  dreadful  tempest  arose,  in 
the  course  of  which  he  observed  that  the  great  trees 
which  resisted  the  force  of  the  wind  were  not  bent, 
but  broken,  or  torn  up  by  its  fury ;  while  the  grass 
and  the  canes,  yielding  before  the  blast,  returned  to 
their  original  position  the  moment  it  was  gone  by. 

"  Oh !"  said  he,  "  if  I  had  followed  the  example  of 
these  canes  and  this  grass  I  should  not  now  be  in  so 
miserable  a  condition." 

"  Grieve  not,  O  man  of  virtue,  for  is  it  not  written, 
that  the  greatest  blessings  are  nearest  to  the  greatest 
misfortunes  ?'   said  a  voice. 

Maha,  gazed  upward,  around ;  it  was  only  a  voice, 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  a  silken  cord  upon  the 
ground  at  his  feet. 

"Doubtless,"  he  muttered,  "the  voice  of  a  guar- 
dian Nat.  Miserable  Maha,  to  despair  when  Guada- 
ma  has  thee  in  his  protection.  But  this  cord — I  saw 
it  not  before  I  heard  the  voice."  Then  grazing  at  it, 
he  added,  "the  Nats  alone  must  be  thanked,  for  this 
rope  was  never  twisted  by  mortal  hands  ;  it  must  be, 
it  is,  a  charmed  noose,  from  which  the  fleetest  deer 
may  not'  escape  my  hands."  Thus  pondering,  he 
walked  onward,  when  suddenly,  as  if  frightened  by  the 
storm,  a  beautiful  damsel  fled  by  him,  with  more  than 


* 
PRINCESSES   OF   THE   SILVER   MOUNTAIN.        121 

the  fleetncss  of  the  antelope.  He  called  aloud  to  allay 
her  fears  ;  hut  the  more  he  called  the  quicker  she  fled. 
For  an  instant  she  looked  around ;  Malta  held  up  his 
arm  beseechingly,  when,  to  his  surprise,  the  noose  of 
silk  jerked  itself  from  his  hands  and  fell  over  the 
arm  of  the  fair  creature. 

"  The  gods  he  praised  !  some  great  event  is  about 
to  happen!"  he  exclaimed,  and  in  another  minute  the 
girl  was  at  his  feet  imploring  mercy,  a  very  unneces- 
sary supplication,  for  to  Maha  she  appeared  the  spirit 
of  mercy ;  indeed  she  could  be  no  other  than  the 
more  than  mortal  beauty  the  king  had  tauntingly  com- 
manded him  to  bring-  to  the  foot  of  the  throne  as  the 
price  of  his  restoration  to  favor. 

It  need  scarcely  be  told  that  the  beauteous  damsel 
was  the  youngest  of  the  Nat  princesses  of  the  silver 
mountain,  who,  frightened  by  the  storm,  had  escaped 
from  the  lake,  but  either  by  accident  or  magic  influ- 
ence, having  lost  the  zone  by  which  alone  she  could 
reascend  with  her  sisters  to  her  father's  palace,  had 
fled,  she  knew  not  where. 

Now,  as  by  the  loss  of  her  zone  the  aerial  young 
lady  had  become  reduced  to  the  level  of  a  mere  ordi- 
nary mortal,  she  was  not  backward  in  accepting  from 
an  elderly  gentleman,  who,  notwithstanding  his  mel- 
ancholy, had  the  appearance  of  having  seen  better 
days,  such  worldly  terms  as  a  fine  palace,  numerous 
servants,  and  a  handsome  young  king  for  a  husband. 

Of  course,  as  in  all  similar  instances,  the  young  king 
no  sooner  set  eyes  upon  the  beauty  than  he  made 
her  his  chief  queen,  and  restored  the  minister  to  his 


122  THE   WHITE   ELEPHAXT. 

old  rank,  honors,  and  emoluments,  very  much  to  the 
disgust  of  the  established  queen,  and  her  father,  the 
artful  astrologer,  both  of  whom  at  once  resolved  to 
rum  the  new  wife  with  the  least  possible  delay. 

It  so  happened,  some  months  after  the  king's  new 
marriage,  that  a  great  king  of  a  neighboring  country 
invaded  Pyensa,  and  put  the  people  to  fire  and  sword, 
in  spite  of  all  the  renowned  generals  the  young  king 
had  sent  to  oppose  him;  and  as,  moreover,  at  the 
same  time,  the  whole  kingdom  became  covered  with 
a  plague  of  locusts,  so  thick  that  the  cavalry  could 
scarcely  manoeuvre,  and  the  ripening  food  of  the  people 
was  being  all  demolished,  the  multitude  began  to 
rebel,  and  to  exhibit  symptoms  of  an  inclination  to 
desert  to  the  invader.  In  this  strait,  the  king,  finding 
he  could  obtain  no  good  advice  from  his  council, 
was  compelled  to  apply  to  the  astrologer,  who,  after, 
many  days  spent  over  fire — in  which,  by  the  way,  it 
was  said  there  was  a  smell  of  brimstone — and  in  con- 
sultation with  his  mysterious  deities,  said — 

"  Know,  O  possessor  of  the  only  great  throne  in 
the  world,  that  these  many  troubles  are  owing  to  an 
evil  spirit,  who  hating  the  king  of  the  Nats,  is  deter- 
mined to  wreak  his  vengeance  upon  his  daughter,  and 
all  who  befriend  her.  Therefore,  O  mighty  lord  of 
many  elephants,  kingdoms,  and  mines  of  precious 
stones,  even  at  the  risk  of  losing  his  head  will  thy 
slave  speak  the  truth.  The  queen  Mauree,  who 
should  be  the  blossom,  is  but  the  blight  of  the  world." 

Upon  hearing  this  the  king,  after  the  decisive 
fashion  of  Asiatic  princes,  would  at  once  have  given 


PRINCESSES    OF   THE    SILVEE   MOUNTAEST.        123 

a  wink  to  the  tall  black  slave,  who,  with  a  glittering 
two-edged  sword,  stood  ready  upon  the  instant  to 
convert  the  head  of  a  refractory  minister  into  a  foot- 
ball, but  for  the  loud  cries  of  many  voices  outside  the 
palace  gates. 

The  truth  was,  the  astrologer  and  the  queen  had 
been  disseminating  the  same  story  about  the  unhappy 
Mauree  among  the  people ;  in  consequence  of  which, 
that  hydra-but  light-headed  noun  of  multitude  was 
then  clamoring  for  the  new  queen's  head  to  be  thrown 
out  of  the  window.  Thus  his  majesty  permitted  the 
astrologer's  head  to  remain  under  his  turban,  at  least 
for  a  time.  As  for  poor  Mauree,  what  could  the  still 
more  to  be  pitied  king  do?  Nothing,  absolutely 
nothing ;  but  first,  to  appease  the  people,  order  the 
head  of  a  maid  of  honor  to  be  decorated  with  the 
royal  head-dress,  and  then  thrown  out  to  them.  After 
which,  he  ordered  Mauree  to  be  hidden  in  one  of  the 
attics  of  the  palace,  hoping  that  time  might  enable 
■  him  to  make  better  terms  with  the  astrologer's  evil 
spirit  than  having  to  destroy  his  beautiful  queen. 

Thus,  having  taken,  as  he  thought,  means  for  the 
safety  of  the  beautiful  Nat,  his  majesty  went  to  the 
wTars ;  and  having  killed  the  invading  king,  prepared 
to  return  to  his  palace  in  great  triumph ;  but  arriving 
at  the  city  gates  too  late  at  night  for  his  army  to 
make  a  triumphant  entry,  and  impatient  to  congratu- 
late Mauree,  he  passed  into  the  city  alone,  and  en- 
tered the  palace  by  a  secret  gate,  and  with  beating 
heart  crept  softly  up  the  stairs  to  her  chamber,  think- 
ing to  give  her  a  surprise.     The  surprise,  however, 


124  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"was  fated  to  be  for  him;  for,  opening  the  door — there, 
instead  of  Mauree,  stood  the  queen  number  one,  like 
another  Eleanor,  a  dagger  in  one  hand  and  a  cup  of 
poison  in  the  other,  with  her  paj>a,  the  astrologer, 
by  her  side  holding  a  lamp.  The  comparison,  how- 
ever, with  the  Queen  Eleanor  picture  fell  short  of  the 
principal  figure,  for  there  was  no  fair  Rosamond,  that 
is,  Mauree.  No,  the  would-be  assassins  were  staring 
in  disappointed  surprise  through  the  opened  window 
at  the  silvery  moonbeams,  upon  one  of  which  the  fair 
Nat  and  an  elderly  lady  seemed  to  be  gradually  float- 
ing out  of  sight — that  elderly  lady  was  the  mother 
of  Mauree.  How  she  came  to  be  floating  upon  a 
moonbeam  I  will  now  explain. 

When  the  eight  princesses  returned  to  the  silver 
mountain  without  their  youngest  sister,  great  was 
the  misery  of  the  king,  their  parent ;  who,  however, 
sending  for  his  secretary-of-state  for  foreign  affairs, 
to  whose  department  all  transactions  with  the  lower 
world  appertained,  and  finding  from  that  minister 
that  his  daughter  had  become  mortalized,  and  a  queen, 
and  was  moreover  very  comfortable  and  happy,  the 
old  gentleman  thought  it  as  well  to  let  matters  re- 
main as  they  were,  only  commanding  the  secretary 
to  continue  to  keep  him  well  informed  as  to  his 
daughter's  well-being. 

One  day  the  minister,  with  a  melancholy  face,  told 
the  king  and  queen  of  the  trouble  that  had  fallen  upon 
the  princess ;  and,  moreover,  that  that  very  night  the 
astrologer  and  his  daughter,  the  rival  queen,  intended 
to  enter  the  attic  and  offer  Mauree  the  choice  of  a 


PRINCESSES    OF   THE    SILVER   MOUNTAIN-.         125 

cup  of  poison  or  dagger.  At  this  news  the  queen  of 
the  Nats  buckled  on  one  flying  zone,  and  taking 
another  for  her  daughter,  shot  down  to  the  window 
ledge  of  the  queen  Mauree's  attic.  Scarcely,  how- 
ever, had  she  informed  the  queen  of  the  coming  dan- 
ger, and  placed  the  zone  around  her  waist,  when  the 
astrologer,  the  old  queen,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
king  himself,  entered  the  doorway  to — well,  as  it  re- 
sulted, do  nothing  more  than  stare  with  surprise  at 
the  flight  of  the  intended  victim. 

Then  so  great  was  the  rage  of  the  king  of  Pyensa 
at  seeing  his  favorite  queen  upon  the  wing,  that  with 
one  blow  he  cut  off  the  heads  of  both  the  would-be 
assassins ;  after  which  he  fled  to  a  neighboring  moun- 
tain, where,  in  anguish  and  tears,  he  wandered  the 
whole  of  the  night,  till  from  fatigue  he  fell  down  to 
sleep,  and  dreamt  that  his  beautiful  but  flown  away 
Nat,  Mauree,  after  hovering  over  him  for  a  few 
minutes,  laid  a  golden  circlet  upon  his  forehead,  say- 
ing— 

"  By  means  of  this  ring,  oh,  my  husband,  shall  thy 
trouble  end ;  take  it,  and  fear  not,  for  it  will  bring 
thee  to  the  gate  of  my  father's  palace." 

The  pleasure  awoke  the  king,  when,  imagine  his 
surprise  and  delight  to  find  himself  lying  near  a  foun- 
tain of  perfumed  water  upon  the  top  of  a  mountain, 
so  wondrously  beautiful  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  mortal  power  to  describe  it.  He  rubbed  his  eyes, 
for  he  believed  he  still  dreamt ;  but  no,  there  could 
be  no  mistake,  for  there,  upon  his  finger,  was  the 
very  ring. 


126  THE   WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

The  Princess  Mauree  was  in  her  private  apartments, 
surrounded  by  her  maids  of  honor,  one  of  whom, 
preparing  her  bath,  was  pouring  from  a  crystal  jar 
perfumed  water  into  the  porphyry  vessel,  when,  per- 
ceiving a  ring  fall  into  the  bath,  she  exclaimed,  "  My 
husband!  my  husband  !"  and  fainted  in  the  arms  of 
her  maids,  who,  fearing  she  had  been  attacked  by 
some  strange  disorder,  hastened  to  the  king  of  the 
Nats,  who,  finding  that  his  daughter's  illness  had 
been  caused  by  the  sight  of  a  ring,  cruelly  ordered 
the  waiting-maids  to  be  starved  till  they  had  dis- 
covered from  whence  that  ring  had  come.  Where- 
upon, the  maid  who  had  fetched  the  perfumed  water 
said  that  as  she  was  coming  from  the  fountain  with 
the  jar  upon  her  head,  a  handsome  young  mortal  had 
approached  her,  and  having  discovered  that  the  water 
was  for  the  bath  of  the  Princess  Mauree,  had  dropped 
the  ring  into  the  jar. 

A  stranger  venturing  into  his  dominions,  and  one 
too  who  must  have  encountered  (for  so1  the  king 
thought)  and  vanquished  the  terrible  Beloo,  or  devil- 
guard,  to  say  nothing  of  the  belt  of  prickly  canes  and 
stream  of  boiling  copper — it  was  terrible,  it  was 
presumptuous  ;  and  not  even  though  the  Princess,  who 
by  this  time  had  recovered,  declared  the  stranger  to 
be  her  husband  and  a  king,  could  the  royal  Nat  be 
pacified.  His  family  pride  was  hurt.  What  was  a 
king  of  mortals  in  comparison  with  him?  Never 
was  a  royal  Nat  so  stung  with  rage. 

However,  as  we  have  seen  at  the  commencement 
of  the  legend,  a  pretty  daughter,  especially  if  she  be 


PRINCESSES    OF   TI1E    SILVER   MOUNTAIN.         127 

as  good  as  Mauree  undoubtedly  was,  can  do  much  to 
soften  the  heart  of  even  a  hard-hearted  father,  which 
the  king  of  the  Nats  was  not ;  so,  by  dint  of  coaxing, 
crying,  and  smiling  through  her  tears,  every  one  of 
which  seemed  a  wasted  pearl  to  his  majesty,  the  latter 
agreed  to  forgive  her  husband's  presumption,  condi- 
tionally— that  he  would  tame  his  wildest  elephant, 
ride  his  fiercest  and  most  savage  horse,  and  send  an 
arrow  out  of  a  bow  that  no  man  in  Natdom  had 
strength  enough  to  bend,  right  through  the  ring  at 
a  distance  of  a  hundred  yards. 

Now,  most  people  would  have  thought  these  con- 
ditions rather  hard,  but  then  eA'erything  is  possible 
to  the  hero  of  a  fairy  story,  and  so  the  young  king  prov- 
ed to  the  satisfaction  of  a  court  very  jealous  of  a  mortal 
being  established  therein  as  a  resident ;  and  this  jeal- 
ousy was  not  unfounded,  for  there  is  no  doubt  that 
with  the  wisdom  of  a  Nat  the  king  foresaw  the  troub- 
les that  Residents  would  ultimately  bring  upon  the 
kingdoms  of  India  beneath  his  own  states. 

Alas,  however,  there  was  another  trial  for  the  king 
of  Pyensa  to  undergo  before  he  would  be  permitted 
to  claim  Mauree — no  less,  indeed,  than  recognising 
her  by  her  little  finger.  For  this  purpose  he  was 
introduced  into  a  chamber,  across  which  was  suspend- 
ed a  large  curtain  of  yellow  silk.  The  king  of  the  Nats 
gave  a  signal,  and  immediately  the  tips  of  nine  little 
fingers  shot  throughas  many  little  holes  in  the  curtain. 

The  king  of  Pyensa's  heart  beat.  How  was  he  to 
tell  which  was  Mauree's  finger.  He  rubbed  his  eyes, 
scratched  his  head,  pushed  his  hair  off  his  forehead, 


128  TIFE   WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

and  inwardly  prayed  to  his  gods.  All  of  no  use ;  for 
a  time  he  would  not  choose.  At  length  he  began  to 
examine  one  after  the  other;  but  like  the  chalk  marks 
upon  the  house  doors  in  the  story  of  Ali  Baba  and 
the  Forty  Thieves,  they  were  all  alike.  What  could 
he  do  ?  Nothing  but  wish  for  the  gifts  of  knowedge. 
Ah,  yes,  that  was  it.  He  had  heard  that  gifts  were 
marked  upon  the  nails ;  so  passing  one,  two,  three, 
four,  he  found  that  all  the  nails  were  alike,  but  upon 
the  fifth  there  were  three  white  spots  set  in  the  blush- 
ing crimson,  the  sixth  finger  had  two  spots,  the  remain- 
ing fingers  none ;  he  touched  the  fifth,  it  moved,  he 
had  made  his  choice,  and  the  next  moment  the  beau- 
tiful Mauree  was  by  his  side,  when  the  king  of  the 
Nats,  like  all  good  fathers  in  romances,  forgave  the 
runaway  marriage,  and — of  course  they  were  happy 
for  ever  afterward. 


CHASED   BY   A   CROCODILE.  129 


CHAPTER  X. 

CHASED   BY   A   CROCODILE. 

Although  this  story  was  based  upon  a  Burmese 
play,  and  will  therefore  afford  you  some  notion  of  the 
ingredients  of  the  national  drama,  it  was  in  the  main, 
I  afterward  discovered,  the  creation  of  the  fertile 
brain  of  Naon,  who  had  so  thoroughly  acquired  the 
style  and  soft  tones  of  the  professional  story  tellers  of 
the  East,  that  it  had  the  desired  effect,  for  it  soothed  me 
to  sleep  and  pleasant  dreams  in  spite  of  the  mosquitoes. 

The  next  morning  I  awoke  not  only  refreshed,  but 
much  sounder  both  in  mind  and  limb,  and  we  con- 
tinued our  journey,  keeping  close  alongside  the  banks 
of  the  river,  but  at  the  same  time  a  sharp  look-out  for 
both  crocodiles  and  tigers,  which  infest  those  parts, 
and  frequent  the  banks — the  former  for  the  purpose 
of  laying  its  eggs  in  the  sand,  and  seeking  chance 
prey,  the  latter  for  the  purpose  of  slaking  the  burning 
thirst  that  so  continuously  torment  all  animals  of  the 
tiger  kind.  Proceeding  about  a  mile  along  the  river, 
we  came  to  a  deep  thicket,  indeed  almost  a  shrub- 
bery, which  had  grown  some  distance  into  the  river. 

"  Truly,  sahib,  we  are  most  fortunate  as  we  may 
save  our  legs  for  a  better  purpose,"  said  Kaon,  point- 
ing to  a  large  boat,  or  rather  canoe,  hollowed  from 
the  trunk  of  a  tree  while  green,  which  was  moored 
near  the  bank. 
9 


130  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  But  the  owner  may  be  at  hand,  and  object  to  our 
appropriating  his  boat,"  said  I,  rather  annoyed  at 
Naon's  evident  loose  notions  of  meum  et  tuum. 

"  Truly,  it  is  a  stray  canoe,  which  we  can  use,  and 
leave  at  the  first  village,"  said  he. 

"It  is  not  so,  Naon;  see,  there  are  the  owners,'' 
said  I,  as  at  that  moment  two  men  approached,  who, 
with  the  exception  of  a  pair  of  loose  trowsers,  a  fillet 
of  linen  around  their  heads,  were  naked ;  and  who, 
from  the  shield  upon  the  left  arm,  and  the  long  sabre, 
wmich  is  always  carried  for  the  purpose  of  defence 
against  Avild  beasts,  felling  trees,  and  shaping  timber, 
I  knew  to  be  ordinary  peasants. 

"  Nevertheless  we  are  fortunate,  for  they  are  caria- 
ners,  and  will  carry  us  to  their  village." 

Before,  however,  he  could  address  the  men  they 
crouched  to  the  earth,  fixing  their  eyes  upon  a  small 
tree,  and  crawled  stealthily  forward.  This  move- 
ment aroused  my  curiosity,  and,  looking  narrowly,  I 
saw  upon  a  branch  an  animal  of  the  lizard  kind.  It 
was  about  eleven  inches  in  length,  nearly  half  of 
which  was  a  tail,  by  which  it  seemed  to  hold  to  the 
branch,  and  move  itself  backward  or  forward.  The 
body  was  bluish-gray,  its  skin  grained  with  globular 
inequalities,  like  shagreen;  no  ears,  at  least  visible; 
a  large  head,  fixed  and  immovable,  except  with  the 
body;  two  very  small  eyes,  of  piercing  brightness, 
which  were  covered  with  a  skin  like  its  body;  the 
grain,  however,  of  this  was  in  concentric  circles  to  the 
middle,  where  there  was  a  hole  no  larger  than  a  pin's 
head,  and  through  which  it  received  the  light.     These 


CHASED   BY   A   CROCODILE.  131 

eyes,  I  afterward  learned,  are  remarkable  for  being 
independent  of  each  other,  and  capable  of  all  the  dif- 
ferent necessary  motions,  for  the  animal  can  either 
turn  them  both  at  the  same  time,  or  one  back- 
ward and  the  other  forward,  one  upward  and  the 
other  downward,  or  can  keep  one  fixed  upon  one  ob- 
ject, whilst  the  other  is  moving  according  to  the 
motion  of  another. 

At  the  moment  this  curious  little  animal  attracted 

my  attention  its  eyes  were  fixed  upon  a  swarm  of  flies, 

one  of  which  it  caught  by  suddenly  darting  forth  a 

tongue  nearly  as  long  as  its  body,  and  which,  I  found, 

nature  has  supplied  with  a  kind  of  sheath. 

"They  are  chameleon  hunting,"  said  Naon,  per- 
ceiving my  curiosity ;  and  thus  I  first  became  ac- 
quainted with  one  of  those  wonderful  little  creatures 
about  which  so  many  fables  have  been  told.  '  To 
live  upon  air  like  a  chameleon'  is  an  old  simile,  which 
has  its  origin  in  the  simple  fact  that  the  animal  is 
capable  of  drawing  in  a  vast  supply  of  air,  which  it 
has  also  the  power  of  driving  over  every  part  of  the 
body  between  the  skin  and  the  muscles.  As  for  the 
fable  that  it  can  assume  the  color  of  every  object  it 
approaches,  it  is  simply  an  exaggeration  of  the  fact 
that  from  its  pale  gray  or  mouse  color,  it  will  fre- 
quently change  to  green,  spotted  with  yellow,  dark 
brown,  light  brown,  and  sometimes  red,  but  nearly 
always  with  a  bluish  tint.  Previously  to  changing 
its  hue  the  animal  makes  a  long  inspiration,  which 
causes  the  body  to  swell  out  to  twice  its  natural  size, 
and  as  this  inflation  subsides  the  change  gradually 


132  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

takes  place.  The  cause  of  this  variety  of  colors  is 
supposed  to  be,  first,  that  the  blood  is  of  a  violet 
blue,  the  vessels  yellow,  the  outer  skin  colorless  and 
transparent,  and  the  inner  skin  yellow ;  so  that  the 
changes  depend  upon  the  mixture  of  blue  and  yellow, 
from  which  result  different  shades  of  green.  Thus,  if 
provoked,  when  well  fed,  the  blood  is  carried  in 
greater  abundance  from  the  heart  to  the  extremities 
and  swelling  the  vessels  of  the  skin,  the  blue  subdues 
the  yellow,  and  produces  a  blue-green,  which  is  seen 
through  the  transparent  outer-skin.  When,  on  the 
contrary,  the  animal  is  impoverished  from  want  of 
free  air  the  vessels  become  more  empty,  and  its  color 
becomes  of  a  yellow  green. 

Thus  you  see  the  foolish  boast  which  originated,  I 
believe,  among  the  Spanish  Hidalgos,  and  is  so  often 
repeated  among  Englishmen,  who  wish  to  be  thought 
of  aristocratic  birth,  that  they  are  blue  bloods,  or 
having  blue  blood  in  their  veins,  is,  in  reality,  only 
the  attribute  of  the  chameleon. 

But,  to  continue  my  narrative.  The  ground  be- 
tween myself  and  the  chameleon  hunters  was  occupied 
by  a  portion  of  the  thicket,  a  kind  of  leafy  under- 
wood, which  being  beaten  down  by  what  I  mistook 
to  be  a  fallen  tree,  left  open  to  my  view  the  little 
animal  in  whose  safety  from  the  hunters  I  felt  so 
much  interested  that  I  moved  some  yards  in  advance 
of  Naon.  It  was  then  that  the  chameleon  hunters 
saw  me  for  the  first  time,  and  (as  I  for  the  instant 
supposed)  fearing  I  should  alarm  their  game,  called 
aloud  to  me  to  "beware  the  crocodile."     Almost 


CHASED   BY   A   CHOCODILE.  133 

simultaneously  came  the  crack  of  the  rifle,  and  a 
shriek  from  Naon.  The  warning  came  too  late.  I 
had  stepped  upon  the  animal.  Heaven  alone  pre 
served  me.  With  one  bound  I  leaped  forward  many 
feet,  and  a  thrill  of  delight  ran  through  my  frame  as 
I  caught  sight  of  the  boat.  A  few  leaps  and  I  reached 
it ;  but,  looking  back  to  the  shore,  my  heart  seemed 
to  be  rising  into  my  mouth,  for  the  tree,  against 
which  I  had  stumbled  in  the  thicket,  was  in  full  chase 
after  me — no  longer,  however,  in  the  shape  of  a  tree, 
but  that  of  a  huge  crocodile,  which  was  fast  gaining 
the  water's  edge.  Terror  for  a  moment  paralyzed 
my  hands.  I  could  not  unloosen  the  cord  by  which 
the  boat  was  moored.  Another  crack  of  the  rifle ; 
fortunately  a  double-barrelled  piece,  or  the  monster 
would  have  had  me  in  its  jaws.  Another  report ;  a 
shot  hit  its  tail ;  at  the  same  instant  a  short  javelin 
from  the  thicket  struck  its  head,  nearly  piercing  the 
eye,  at  which  it  had  been  aimed,  and,  although  harm- 
less to  the  monster,  since  both  ball  and  javelin 
glided  off  its  scales,  saved  my  life ;  for,  thus  annoyed 
from  behind,  it  turned  around  for  an  instant  as  if  to 
attack  its  rearward  enemies,  and  that  one  turn  gave 
me  time  to  push  off  from  the  shore,  where,  however, 
I  seemed  in  yet  greater  danger,  for,  determined  not 
easily  to  give  up  its  prey,  the  annimal  had  taken  to 
the  water,  and  in  a  minute  or  so  was  within  a  very 
short  distance  of  the  boat. 

My  position  was  dangerous  in  the  extreme.  Alone, 
without  rifle  or  spear,  in  a  small  boat,  which,  by  one 
blow  from  its  tail,  the  animal  might  capsize  the  mo- 


184:  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

ment  it  got  within  reach ;  and  that  it  would  do  so  seemed 
certain,  for,  although  its  speed  upon  land  had  been 
by  far  greater  than  some  naturalists  have  said  it  has 
the  power  to  run,  that  speed  became  increased  tenfold 
in  its  native  element.  Paddling  with  the  oars  for  my 
life,  with  the  scaly  reptile  in  my  wake,  it  was  many 
minutes  before  I  observed,  some  distance  ahead, 
several  boats,  the  crews  of  which  were  shouting  to 
me  to  beware  "  the  line."  The  shouts  strengthened 
my  nerves,  and  although  the  beast  was  making  upon 
me,  I  cared  not,  but  quicker  and  quicker  went  my 
paddles,  till  I  got  within  a  yard  of  the  line  which  was 
drawn  across  the  river,  when  I  confess  to  a  feeling 
of  despair.  The  brute  had  so  far  gained  upon  me, 
that  its  snout  rubbed  against  the  stern ;  another  yard 
and  its  tail  would  have  full  play,  the  boat  would  be 
swamped.  Then  came  loud  shoutings  from  the  boats, 
Heaven  added  to  my  vigor,  faster  and  faster  I  strove, 
till  the  boat  glided  over  the  line,  when  I  rested  upon 
my  paddles.  Now  my  turn  had  come.  The  crews 
of  the  boats  were  professional  crocodile  hunters. 
The  line  was  the  running  cord  of  a  great  bamboo  net, 
among  the  meshes  of  which  the  beast  had  become 
entangled,  and  was  now  floundering  about,  lashing 
its  tail  so  violently  that  no  boat  dared  venture  near ; 
and  thus,  after  struggling  for  nearly  two  hours,  the 
brute  expended  its  great  strength. 

Then  the  boats  drew  nearer,  and  their  crews  darted 
forth  their  javelins :  some  pierced  its  eyes,  others  its 
stomach,  the  only  vulnerable  parts,  till  perceiving,  by 
the  great  loss  of  blood,  and  its  motionless  position,  it 


CHASED   BY   A   CROCODILE.  135 

was  nearly  dead,  they  dragged  it  ashore.  I  followed ; 
and  need  not  tell  you  was  warmly  congratulated 
upon  my  escape  by  Naon,  who  with  tears  in  his  eyes 
continued  to  repeat  for  some  minutes — 

"  May  the  Lord  of  heaven  be  praised,  for  the  sahib's 
escape  was  miraculous." 

As  for  the  natives,  they  crowded  around,  fell  upon 
their  hands  and  knees,  and  after  their  heathen  fashion 
almost  worshipped  me,  for  having  been  the  means  of 
delivering  their  great  enemy  into  their  hands.     That 
you  may  understand  the  meaning  of  this,  I  must  tell 
you  that  the  river  upon  which  this  adventure  hap- 
pened is    at   times   infested  with   crocodiles,  which 
commonly  seize  natives  who  may  be  walking   near 
the  water's  edge  ;  and  becoming  emboldened  by  suc- 
cess, as  had  been  the  case  with  this  particular  animal, 
they  become  the  terror  of  every  boat's  crew  who 
passes  that  portion  of  the  river  which  the  animal  has 
made   its   hunting-ground.     The   animal's   mode   of 
attack  is  to  glide  silently  up  to  the  bow  or  stern  of 
the  boat,  and  then  turn  suddenly,  when,  with  one 
dash  of  its  powerful  tail  it  sweeps  into  the  water  who- 
ever may  be  within  reach  ;  and,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
the  stunned  men  become  an  easy  prey. 

Now,  notwithstanding  the  charms  given  to  them 
by  their  priests  to  protect  them  from  crocodiles,  for 
some  months  scarcely  a  day  had  passed  without  some 
man  having  fallen  a  prey  to  this  animal ;  consequently 
it  had  become  the  terror  of  the  neighboring  country ; 
and  although  nets— the  usual  means  by  which  they 
are  taken  in  Pegu— had  been  thrown  across  the  river 


136'  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

for  many  weeks,  and  constantly  watched,  the  croco- 
dile had  heen  too  wary  for  its  enemies,  and  had  es- 
caped, till  it  lost,  I  suppose,  its  presence  of  mind  in 
its  hot  chase  after  myself.  Thus,  having  ensnared 
the  brute,  I  was  almost  worshipped  by  the  natives, 
and  by  none  more  than  the  chameleon  hunters,  who 
were  father  and  sou,  and  had  recently  lost  a  near  and 
dear  relative,  who,  while  steering  his  boat,  had  been 
knocked  from  his  post  into  the  water,  and  afterward 
devoured. 

Resolved  to  make  the  most  of  my  advantage — when 
I  had  watched  the  other  boatmen  tie  up  the  beast's 
mouth,  fasten  its  head  to  its  tail,  anfl  its  fore  feet 
over  its  back  (had  they  not  done  this,  it  might  yet 
have  done  them  mischief) — I  begged  of  the  grateful 
chameleon  hunters  to  carry  us  to  their  village — a  re- 
quest with  which  they  readily  complied ;  so  when  I 
had  taken  farewell  of  the  crocodile  hunters,  and  my 
new  friends  had  secured  their  stock  of  lizards  and 
chameleons,  which  they  had  hidden  in  a  hole  near 
the  thicket,  we  embarked. 


STORY   OF   A   DESPOT.  137 


CHAPTER  XL 

I  HEAR  THE  STORY  OP  A  DESPOT,  AND  HAVE  AN 
ADVENTURE  WITH  SOME  QUEER  PISH. 

Once  afloat,  the  Carians  sent  their  boat  through 
the  waters  with  a  velocity  only  to  be  accomplished, 
by  Burmans,  and  we  passed  through  a  country, 
which  upon  the  one  side  of  the  river  was  low  and 
swampy,  but  upon  the  other  magnificent,  from  the 
chain  of  hills  which,  commencing  almost  with  hillocks 
near  the  river,  arose  in  height  till  they  terminated  in 
the  distant  but  lofty  mountains  of  Arracan. 

This  Arracan,  now  a  dreary  province  of  Anglo- 
India,  was  once  the  seat  of  one  of  those  gorgeous 
Asiatic  empires  whose  foul  doings  have  brought  upon 
them  their  own  punishment;  and  the  story  I  am 
about  to  relate  is  not  only  illustrative  of  the  tremen- 
dous power  and  wickedness  of  its  kings — for  one  was 
the  type  of  the  many — but  of  the  slavery  of  the  people, 
who  I  am  inclined  to  think  deserved  all  they  met 
with  for  their  submission.  It  is  the  story  of  a  modern 
Herod,  and  was  told  by  one  Sebastian  Manrique,  a 
friar  of  St.  Augustin,  who  visited  India  as  a  mission- 
ary in  1612,  and  repeated  to  me  by  Naon,  who  had 
learned  it  from  a  book  of  the  friar's  travels,  which 
had  been  in  the  possession  of  his  father,  a  fellow- 
countryman  of  the  missionary. 


138  THE   WHITS    ELEPHANT. 

Prophecies  have  ever  met  with  ready  belief  in  the 
East.  Now,  prior  to  the  Father  Manrique's  entrance 
into  Arracan,  a  prediction  had  long  been  current  that 
the  Emperor  of  Arracan,  within  one,  or  at  most  two, 
years  after  his  coronation  would  be  slain.  To  escape 
this  fate  the  then  monarch  had  postponed  his  corona- 
tion for  nearly  nine  years,  but,  as  by  the  law,  if  he 
delayed  the  ceremony  over  that  period,  he  would  for- 
feit the  crown,  he  found  himself  in  an  awkward 
dilemma,  out  of  which  he  saw  no  other  escape  than 
by  the  aid  and  advice  of  a  celebrated  Mahommedan 
sage. 

This  worthy,  perhaps  to  suit  some  secret  ambitious 
purpose  of  his  own,  or  more  probably  from  a  love  of 
wickedness,  replied,  that  there  was  one  method  by 
which  his  majesty  could  not  only  escape  the  threatened 
fate,  but  at  the  same  time  become  invincible,  and  ex- 
tend his  dominion  over  the  surrounding  empires  of 
Siam,  Pegu,  Ava,  and  Delhi. 

The  promised  result  was  brilliant ;  the  means,  how- 
ever, by  which  it  was  to  be  obtained,  was  according 
to  the  sage,  to  offer  to  the  gods  a  sacrifice  of  six  thou- 
sand human  hearts,  four  thousand  hearts  of  white 
cows,  and  two  thousand  hearts  of  pigeons.  Now, 
do  you  not  think  such  an  inhuman  suggestion  incred- 
ible as  a  piece  of  sober  human  history,  indeed  any- 
where out  of  a  pantomime  or  a  goblin  story  ?  Incred- 
ible, however,  as  it  appears,  this  demoniac  sovereign 
acted  upon  it. 

Like  another  Herod,  he  immediately  sent  troops 
to  seize  all  those  of  his  subjects  who  could  be  found 


STOKY    OF   A   DESPOT.  139 

either  in  the  streets  or  in  the  fields,  till  the  fatal  num- 
ber was  completed.  Those  seized  during  the  day- 
were  carried  at  night  to  a  deep  hollow  between  two 
lofty  mountains,  where  the  sacrifices  were  perfoimied. 

"  The  visible  executioner,"  says  the  worthy  friar, 
who  was  present  in  Arracan  at  the  time  of  the 
slaughter,  "being  no  doubt  attended  by  invisible 
witnesses  from  the  world  below." 

The  horror  excited  by  this  butchery  it  is  impossible 
to  describe.  The  wretched  and  trembling  people 
durst  not  stir  out  of  their  houses,  and  the  streets 
became  a  desert.  A  thousand  pities  there  was  no 
Arracanese  House  of  Commons,  Avhose  members 
might  have  led  their  constituents  against  this  tyrant, 
as  those  of  the  English  Parliament  did  at  one  period 
of  our  history. 

Finding  sufficient  victims  could  not  be  obtained  in 
the  city,  emissaries  were  sent  into  the  neighboring 
towns  and  country,  where  the  people  were  less  upon 
their  guard.  The  great  number  of  victims  required, 
however,  seem  at  length  to  have  aroused  even  an 
Asiatic  slavedom,  for  the  cries  of  the  multitude  rose 
to  such  a  height  that  an  insurrection  would  infallibly 
have  taken  place,  had  it  not  been  for  an  announce- 
ment that  the  sacrifice  prepared  for  the  impious  altars 
of  the  nether  kingdom  was  now  completed,  and  that 
the  coronation  would  take  place  within  six  months ; 
which  at  once  not  only  dispelled  the  fears  of  the  peo- 
ple, but  delighted  them  with  the  prospect  of  the 
merry  doings  to  take  place  at  the  approaching  cere- 
mony. 


140  THE   WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

"  But,  my  good  Naon,"  I  exclaimed,  interrupting 
him,  "is  it  possible  that  a  people  ever  existed  so  base 
and  cowardly  in  themselves  not  only  to  have  for- 
gotten the  sufferings  of  their  fellows,  but  to  permit 
so  great  a  wretch  to  reign  any  longer  over  them  ?" 

"Let  the  sahib  listen,  and  he  will  hear." 

I  became  silent,  and  Naon  continued. 

"The  six  months  were  employed  without  inter- 
mission throughout  the  whole  kingdom  in  making 
preparations,  and,  in  particular,  a  copious  supply  was 
brought  of  the  holy  waters  from  Sagur.  As  the  day 
approached,  such  crowds  came  from  all  the  kingdoms, 
states,  and  cities  of  Indostan,  Ava,  Siam,  Sumatra, 
and  other  various  islands  and  countries,  that  Arracan 
became,  as  it  were,  an  epitome  of  the  East. 

"  The  ceremonies  commenced  with  the  coronation 
of  twelve  kings,  each  of  whom  was  to  reign  over  one 
of  the  provinces  subject  to  Arracan.  On  this  occa- 
sion, the  supreme  tyrant  being  seated  on  a  splendid 
throne,  with  all  his  lords  in  attendance,  the  king  was 
introduced,  who,  on  approaching  the  throne,  began  a 
series  of  bows  and  prostrations,  which  ended  with 
his  laying  himself  flat  upon  the  ground,  to  which  he 
riveted  his  lips.  In  this  posture  he  remained  till  four 
lords  came  and  lifted  him  up.  On  approaching  a 
little  nearer,  he  repeated  the  same  series  of  prostra- 
tions, and  so  on  for  four  or  five  times ;  but  on  being 
raised  the  fifth  time,  he  found  himself  close  to  the  im- 
perial throne." 

"  A  golden  idol,  three  feet  high,  with  a  garland  of 
flowers  on  its  head,  was  then  brought  forth.     The 


STORY   OF   A   DESPOT.  141 

king  took  it  in  his  hand,  and  after  six  prostrations, 
placed  it  on  his  head,  and  pronounced  a  solemn  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  tyrant,  who  immediately  declared 
that  his  vassal's  head  was  worthy  of  becoming  the 
temporary  resting-place  of  part  of  his  own  imperial 
foot, 

"  The  great  trumpet  being  then  blown  thrice,  the 
whole  assembly  (fit  nobles  of  a  fitting  people  fell 
prostrate  on  the  ground,  upon  which  a  curtain  being 
drawn,  the  tyrant  became  hidden  from  the  view  of 
the  court.  Eight  days  elapsed  between  the  corona- 
tion of  each  king,  which  period  was  spent  by  the  last 
one  crowned  in  magnificent  processions  by  land  and 
water,  and  in  keeping  open  table  for  all  the  citizens. 

"  The  coronation  of  the  kings  being  completed,  the 
crowd  of  strangers  daily  increased,  and  the  city  as- 
sumed a  more  brilliant  aspect ;  that  city,  be  it  re- 
marked, which  had  so  recently  been  the  theatre  of 
such  a  fearful  slaughter.  The  outsides  of  the  houses 
were  hung  with  cloths  of  cotton,  silk,  and  embroidery  ; 
the  streets  were  adorned  with  triumphal  arches,  and 
echoed  with  the  sound  of  music,  the  beating  of  drums, 
and  the  discharge  of  artillery.  The  loyal  merchants 
took  the  opportunity  of  holding  a  fair,  in  which  all 
that  Avas  most  rare  and  precious  in  the  East  was 
profusely  exhibited. 

"  On  the  evening  before  the  grand  ceremony,  the 
whole  city  was  filled  with  standards,  pendants,  and 
streamers  of  various  colors  which  kept  waving  in  the 
wind.  The  morning  rose  clear  and  beautiful,  and 
was  ushered  in  with  the  firing  of  cannon.     At  the 


142  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

appointed  hour  all  the  kings,  princes,  and  lords  re- 
paired to  an  immense  hall  with  a  golden  roof,  and 
supported  by  thirty  gilded  pillars.  Three  sides  were 
open,  and  the  fourth  hung  with  rich  tapestry,  hiding 
from  view  the  large  arched  space  in  which  the  mon- 
arch was  seated.  All  the  grandees  having  taken  their 
places,  five  blasts  were  blown  with  the  great  trum- 
pet, and  during  the  next  half  hour  there  was  one 
continued  roar  of  artillery. 

"  A  profound  silence  followed,  but  when  the 
trumpet  was  again  blown,  the  whole  assembly  fell 
^prostrate  to  the  ground.  The  curtain  being  ,  then 
drawn  aside,  exhibited  the  imperial  assassin  seated 
upon  a  lofty  throne  blazing  with  gems  and  gold.  His 
robe  was  entirely  covered  with  pearls,  and  on  his 
feet  were  silken  sandals  laden  with  diamonds.  His 
head  was- merely  wrapt  in  white  cloth;  but  from  the 
ears  depended  two  of  the  emblems  of  royalty  called 
chanequas,  and  which  surpassed  in  splendor  every 
other  object.  After  some  superstitious  ceremonies, 
the  chief  priest  delivered  a  lengthy  discourse,  in 
which  he  painted  the  virtues  and  perfections  of  this 
wholesale  assassin  in  such  terms  that,  if  one  half  had 
been  true,  as  Manrique  says,  he  would  have  deserved 
canonization. 

"  The  sermon  of  '  this  false  preacher'  being  ended,  * 
the  whole  assembly  broke  up,  and  proceeded  in  regu- 
lar order  and  pomp  till  they  arrived  at  the  gate  of  a 
large  court,  into  which  they  entered.  Here,  however, 
only  the  believers  in  the  national  faith  being  admitted, 
Manrique  and  the  Portuguese  were  denied  entrance. 


STOKY   OF   A   DESPOT.  143 

They  waited  for  two  hours,  at  the  end  of  which  all 
the  artillery  in  the  city  was  discharged  at  once  with  a 
roar  so  tremendous  as  if  the  world  were  going  to 
wreck.  The  gates  were  then  thrown  open,  and  the 
monarch  issued  forth,  wearing  on  his  head  the  impe- 
rial crown,  which  glittered  all  over  with  pearls,  rubies, 
and  diamonds.  He  then  repaired  to  a  court,  where 
stood  twelve  hundred  elephants  richly  caparisoned, 
on  which  he  and  his  lords  mounted  and  rode  in  solemn 

*  • 

.  procession  through  the  city,  horsemen  clearing  the 
way  before  them. 

"  Great  was  the  acclamation  of  the  multitude.  The 
ladies  of  the  Court  appeared  stationed  at  different 
points,  with  their  faces  unveiled  and  covered  with  the 
richest  jewels.  At  length  the  monarch  arrived  at  the 
palace,  and  was  received  by  his  empress,  who,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  country,  was  also  his 
eldest  sister,  and  this  long-protracted  festival  was 
brought  to  a  close." 

"  Thus,  I  meditated,  did  this  population  of  slaves 
reward,  instead  of  punish,  the  odious  tyrant  who  had 
plunged  thousands  into  grief  by  the  murder  of  their 
relations.  Thus  has  it  ever  been  with  the  peoples  of 
the  East — by  turns  wolves  or  lambs — always  ready 
to  oppress  the  weak,  or  lick  the  feet  of  the  bold  and 
fearless  ;  and  thus  is  it  that  their  own  savage,  treach- 
erous nature  has  encompassed  their  ruin,  and  affords 
«the  best  of  excuses  for  their  conquest  by  the  remote 
races  of  Europe — our  own  in  particular,  which,  by  the 
introduction  of  Christian  civilization,  must  at  least 
not  only  raise  the  people  in  the  scale  of  creation,  but 


14i  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

teach  them  the  true  and  human  uses  of  the  vast  natu- 
ral wealth  by  which  they  are  surrounded ;  for  in 
eastern  Asia  many  are  the  countries  which,  although 
now  trodden  almost  alone  by  the  beasts  and  reptiles 
of  the  forest,  teem  with  gold,  precious  stones,  iron, 
copper,  and  soils  so  rich  that,  if  but  properly  cultiva- 
ted by  the  sons  of  the  West,  starvation  and  want 
might  be  erased  from  the  world. 

My  meditations,  however,  were  cut  short  by  the 
Carians,  who,  having  rested  upon  their  paddles  to 
partake  of  a  meal  of  gnapee,  a  kind  of  half-pickled 
sprat,  tea,  and  rice  prepared  in  small  pellets,  cried 
out,  "  tet-tet,  tet-tet,"  at  the  same  time  hanging  over 
the  boat,  and  looking  along  the  water  in  the  direction 
of  the  shore. 

"A  crocodile,  Naon,"  said  I,  startled. 

"  Not  crocodile — not  crocodile,  sahib,  but  fish,  pet 
fish ;  the  boatmen  are  calling  them  to  come  and  be 
fed."  And  in  a  few  minutes,  to  my  surprise,  the 
boat  was  literally  surrounded  by  what  I  took  to  be 
dog-fish,  for  they  were  blunt-snouted,  broad-mouthed, 
with  brown  skin  dotted  with  black  spots,  and  between 
three  and  four  feet  in  length. 

As  the  fish  neared  the  boat,  the  Carians  con- 
tinued to  cry  "tet-tet,"  when  the  finny  creatures 
thrust  half  their  bodies  vertically  out  of  the  water, 
and  opened  their  mouths  to  receive  the  pellets  of  rice 
which  were  thrown  down  their  throats.  The  most 
curious  fact,  however,  was,  that  the  fish  seemed  to  be 
upon  terms  of  acquaintanceship  with  the  Carians,  for 
each,  when  it  had  swallowed  its  rice,  returned  to  the 


STORY    OF   A    DESPOT.  145 

boat  for  more ;  and  while  awaiting  their  turns  to  bo 
served,  submitted,  nay,  seemed  to  enjoy  being  stroked 
down  the  back  as  one  would  stroke  a  cat.  Thus, 
watching  these  finny  creatures,  I  had  a  full  half-hour's 
amusement,  for  before  that  time  I  had  not  heard  of 
such  a  curiosity. 

"Recently,  however,  Captain  Yale,  in  a  clever 
book  in  which  he  recounts  his  visit  to  Ava,  tells  us 
that  he  witnessed  a  similar  scene ;  and  further  says  : 
"  During  March,  I  am  told,  there  is  a  great  festival, 
and  it  is  a  very  common  trick  for  the  people  to  get 
some  fish  into  the  boat,  and  even  gild  their  backs  by 
attaching  some  gold  leaf,  as  they  do  in  the  ordinary 
way  pagodas."  (In  the  Burmese  dominions  gold  is 
plentiful,  being  indigenous  to  the  soil;  and  except 
for  coin,  for  which  it  is  not  made  available,  it  is  used 
very  lavishly  in  gilding  and  ornamentation.)  The 
Captain  adds  that  on  one  of  the  fish  he  saw  the  re- 
mains of  the  gilding.  "  I  wished,"  he  writes,  "  to 
take  one  away  as  a  specimen,  but  the  people  seemed  to 
think  it  would  be  a  kind  of  sacrilege,  so  I  said  nothing 
more  on  the  point."  The  phoongyis  (priests)  are  in 
the  habit  of  feeding  them  daily,  I  was  informed.  Their 
place  of  abode  is  the  deep  pool  formed  at  the  back  of 
an  island  by  the  two  currents  meeting  round  its  sides. 

Thus,  you  see,  even  fish  of  the  shark  kind  may  be 
tamed  by  kindness  and  attention.  I  must,  however, 
add  that  this  curious  scene  is  not  common  even  in 
Burma,  for  the  place  where  it  is  to  be  seen  is  visited 
by  numbers  of  persons  who  travel  great  distances  to 
witness  it. 
10 


146  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

I   HAVE  A  MISUNDERSTANDING  WITH  SOME   BUFFALOES. 

About  an  hour  after  the  adventure  with  the  dogfish, 
we  reached  a  small  village  built  upon  the  hanks. 
This  place  contained  about  forty  small  houses,  erected, 
as  usual,  upon  posts,  and,  to  my  astonishment,  appa- 
rently populated  alone  with  aged  men,  women,  and 
children.  The  younger  men,  however,  I  afterward 
discovered,  had  been  sent  by  the  government  to  the 
sea-side  to  make  salt,  and  thus,  as  it  were  pay  their 
taxes  by  the  labor  of  their  hands. 

Apropos  of  salt,  although  the  greater  part  of  that 
consumed  in  the  empire  is  manufactured  at  the  sea- 
side, a  considerable  quantity  is  made  in  the  Sagaing 
mountains,  where  there  is  a  lake,  the  waters  of  which 
afford  material  for  this  condiment ;  and  at  each  end 
of  which  there  are  Ailla^es  whose  inhabitants  are 
entirely  devoted  to  the  making  of  salt,  which  is  pre- 
pared as  follows : — 

Having  first  scraped  the  soil  from  the  borders  of 
the  lake,  they  place  it  in  large  square  troughs  raised 
on  posts,  the  bottoms  of  which  are  lined  with  straw 
laid  over  a  few  cross  sticks.  Beneath  the  troughs, 
attached  to  either  side,  are  two  frames  of  bamboo  and 
straw,  which  meet  at  the  bottom,  acting  as  a  kind  of 
funnel.  Over  the  earth,  placed  in  the  troughs,  there  is 
t 


MISUNDERSTANDING    WITH   BUFFALOES.         147 

poured  a  quantity  of  water,  obtained  either  from  the 
lake  or  from  wells  close  to  the  manufacture ;  the 
brine  thus  falling  down  from  the  troughs  is  farther 
strained  and  purified  by  passing  through  the  straw- 
frames,  from  which  it  is  conveyed  to  pots  and  boiled, 
without  undergoing  any  farther  purification.  The 
revenue  derived  from  this  manufacture  is  considera- 
ble, and  is  enjoyed  by  one  of  the  princes  of  the  blood 
royal,  who  is  therefore  entitled  the  "  Eater  of  the 
villages." 

Deserted  as  this  village  was  by  the  men,  the  women 
and  children  no  sooner  heard  that  we  brought  the 
news  of  the  death  of  the  terrible  crocodile,  than  they 
offered  us  presents  of  food — they  had  nothing  else  to 
offer,  but  a  fervent  gratitude,  which  they  exhibited 
by  their  hospitality. 

As,  however,  our  object  was  to  teach  the  Carian 
village  before  sundown,  a's  soon  as  the  boatmen  had 
consigned  their  boat  to  the  care  of  one  of  the  villagers, 
and  had  harnessed  a  bullock  to  a  cart,  we  took  our 
farewell  and  departure. 

The  prospect  of  a  ride  in  this  bullock  cart  was 
exhilarating  to  our  spirits,  as  it  was  but  a  symptom 
of  better  roads  than  any  we  had  hitherto  experienced 
since  our  departure  from  Rangoon ;  and  so  we  found 
them,  for  instead  of  close,  densely-packed  forests,  we 
now  had  open  and  tolerably  dry  grounds.  An  hour, 
scarcely  more,  and  by  the  large  patches,  at  intervals, 
of  rice  culture,  and  the  thick  groves  of  banana,  we 
should  have  guessed,  even  if  our  guide  had  not  in- 
formed us,  that  we  were  near  an  agricultural  village. 


148  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Passing  through  a  banana  grove,  we  entered  upon 
an  extensive  grass  plain,  when,  catching  sight  of  a 
herd  of  antelopes,  I  seized  the  rifle,  and  descended 
from  the  cart,  saying,  "  I  will  have  a  shot  at  one  of 
those  beasts ;  it  will  afford  us  a  good  supper." 

"  Can  you  get  within  gun-shot  of  them,  sahib  ?" 
said  Naon,  doubtingly. 

"  Can  I  not  ?"  I  replied  conceitedly,  for  I  was  a 
capital  shot ;  and  confident  of  success,  I  crept  stoop- 
ingly  through  the  long  grass,  calculating  the  distance 
with  my  eye. 

The  herd  was  quietly  grazing  just  within  range  of 
my  rifle ;  I  thought  my  aim  sure,  a  sportsman's  plea- 
sure thrilled  through  my  frame,  crack  went  my  piece, 
and  I  started  upon  my  feet — but  with  chagrin,  for  I 
knew  Naon  would  laugh  at  my  conceit  when  he  saw 
the  splendid  creatures  at  full  gallop  across  the  plain, 
startled,  but  untouched  by  the  bullet. 

Yet  I  had  succeeded  in  doing  more  than  startle 
the  deer.  I  had  attracted  the  attention  of  a  drove  of 
cream-colored  buffaloes,  which,  although  alarmed  at 
the  report  of  the  rifle,  did  not,  as  I  expected, 
scamper  away  frightened,  but  with  impudent  effron- 
tery stood  staring  at  me  with  their  fore  legs  stretched 
forth  as  if  prepared  and  in  expectation  of  an  attack 
from  me.  Of  course  it  was  not  my  intention  even  to 
provoke  these  formidable  creatures,  for  I  knew  them 
to  be  the  domesticated  animals  of  the  neighboring 
villages ;  but  seeing  them  thus  present  so  warlike  a 
front,  I  was  not  by  any  means  so  sure  of  their  peace- 
able intentions ;  and  this  was  not  at  all  agreeable, 


lIFtlft 


The  Adventure  with  the  Buffaloes.        Page  148. 


MISUNDERSTANDING   WITH   BUFFALOES.         149 

for  I  remembered  to  have  heard  that,  if  fired  at,  and 
not  mortally  wounded,  these  animals  will  pursue  the 
sportsman  till  they  overtake  him,  or  in  their  rage 
dash  themselves  against  the  first  tree  or  wall  that 
comes  in  their  way.  For  five  minutes  I  stood  looking 
at  them,  and  still  they  remained  quiet,  not  even  bel- 
lowing. This  gave  me  confidence,  and  so  I  unhesita- 
tingly walked  toward  them. 

The  nearer,  however,  I  approached  them,  the  more 
evident  it  appeared  that  there  was  some  incompre- 
hensible misunderstanding  between  us,  for  then,  two 
— a  kind  of  deputation  from  the  general  body — with 
their  tails  and  heads  erect,  trotted  toward  me,  not  in 
a  straight  line,  but  making  a  half-circle,  as  if,  although 
anxious  to  make  themselves  acquainted  with  my  busi- 
ness, they  were  yet  half  afraid  of  making  the  first  ad- 
vance. I  did  not  quite  like  this  deputation,  but  as 
they  were  too  near  for  me  to  think  of  flight,  for  then 
they  would  assuredly  have  overtaken  and  gored  me, 
I  moved  toward  them  at  an  ambling  pace,  in  an 
oblique  direction,  stopping  now  and  then  with  my 
face  toward  them ;  each  time,  as  I  turned,  the  ani- 
mals stood  still  and  gazed  at  me  intently,  moving, 
however,  directly  I  moved,  and  stopping  when  I 
stopped.  I  was  more  alarmed  than  ever;  surely, 
I  thought,  they  are  but  awaiting  an  opportunity  to 
rush  upon  me  when  my  back  is  turned  toward  them ; 
so  thinking,  I  took  a  circuitous  course — the  animals 
did  the  same ;  one,  however,  advancing  to  within  a 
couple  of  yards  of  me.     "  Oh,  oh!"  I  muttered;  "if 


150  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

this  means  fight,  I  must  prepare;  if  only  fun,  it  is  too 
much  familiarity  upon  so  short  an  acquaintance." 

Some  old  cynic  has  said,  "  that  we  ought  to  treat 
our  friends  as  if  they  were  some  day  to  be  our  ene- 
mies." I  intended  adopting  his  advice,  and  for- 
tunately, having  the  cartridge-pouch  with  me,  I  man- 
aged to  reload  my  rifle  while  walking ;  but  no  sooner 
had  I  done  this  than  I  thought  the  crisis  had  arrived, 
for  one  of  the  deputation  bolder  than  his  colleague, 
came  still  nearer,  as  if  preparing  to  make  a  direct  run 
with  his  horns,  which  I  at  once  ahnost  imagined  be- 
tween my  ribs.  This  could  be  borne  no  longer — I 
would  fire.  At  the  moment  I  heard  Naon  shouting 
to  me,  though  what  he  said  I  could  not  distinguish ; 
but  when  I  saw  him  dash  his  own  head-dress  to  the 
ground,  I  comprehended  his  meaning ;  and  vexed 
that  I  had  not  myself  thought  of  it,  I  took  the  red 
handkerchief  from  my  head  and  threw  it  some  dis- 
tance into  the  grass.  Then  the  misunderstanding 
between  us  became  cleared  up,  for  the  two  animals, 
as  if  perfectly  satisfied,  instantly  turned  tail  and  went 
back  to  rejoin  the  drove,  quietly  grazing  on  their 
way. 

Thus  did  a  red  handkerchief  around  my  head  cause 
me  so  much  trouble  and  anxiety,  and  probably  a  nar- 
row chance  of  being  gored  to  death ;  for,  had  I  fired 
without  killing  the  beast,  such  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  my  fate.  Naturalists  can  only  account  for 
the  singular  hatred  of  some  beasts  to  the  color  red, 
from  the  fact  of  their  intense  fear  of  fire,  which  re- 
sembles that  color.     Yet  this  explanation  is  not  sat- 


MISUNDERSTANDING   WITH   BUFFALOES.         151 

isfactory,  for  while  they  flee   from   fire,   they  rush 
toward  red  objects. 

"  The  Lord  of  heaven  be  praised,  the  sahib  is  safe," 
said  Naon,  wiping  from  his  face  the  sweat  caused  by 
his  fears  for  my  safety,  and  with  a  warmth  that  great- 
ly delighted  me,  as  it  showed  that  even  a  half-caste 
Burman  and  Portuguese — and  their  sincerity  is  never 
questioned  by  Europeans — could  be  brought  to  feel 
something  like  affection  for  one  with  whom  he  had 
passed  through  many  dangerous  adventures.  Re- 
solving to  be  careful  in  my  choice  of  dress,  especially 
that  it  should  contain  no  red,  when  next  I  had  the 
honor  of  a  close  audience  with  a  buffalo,  I  leaped 
into  the  cart,  and  before  sundown  wTe  were  within 
the  boundary   of  the  Carian  village. 

This  village — it  is  an  act  of  exaggerated  politeness 
to  use  the  term  to  a  collection  of  mere  pigeon-houses 
■ — was  situated  in  the  midst  of  graziug  grounds,  rice, 
and  other  vegetable  fields.  In  shape  it  was  square, 
the  four  sides  being  composed  of  some  fifty  barns, 
each  of  which  was  stuck  upon  poles  twelve  feet  from 
the  ground,  the  purpose  of  this  elevation  being  as 
well  to  protect  the  inmates  from  the  ravages  caused 
by  the  periodical  deluge-like  rains,  as  from  the  attacks 
or  prowling  tigers,  and  even  wild  elephants,  with 
which  the  woods  at  a  short  distance  abound,  and 
which  animals,  attracted  by  the  rice  and  vegetable 
grounds,  frequently  attack  the  villages  of  Pegu. 

The  houses  themselves  are  of  the  most  miserable 
description,  the  sides  being  of  mats,  the  bamboo  tops 
covered  with  thatch,  and  the  only  means  of  ascent 


152  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

and  descent  "being  by  deeply-notched  sticks,  or  rough 
ladders,  which  at  night  are  drawn  up  to  prevent  the 
visits  of  beasts  or  thieves.  In  the  quadrangle  formed 
by  the  four  sides,  are  stakes  to  which  the  buffaloes, 
when  driven  home  of  an  evening,  are  fastened  by 
cords;  while  the  under  parts  of  the  houses — between 
the  poles  or  supports — form  the  only  places  of  refuge 
for  the  poultry,  pigs,  and  dogs,  which,  together  with 
the  buffaloes,  keep  up  a  nocturnal  concert,  not  by  any 
means  pleasing  to  musical  ears,  but  which  becomes 
discord  beyond  all  description  when  the  brutes  hap- 
pen to  be  visited  during  the  night  by  one  of  the  half- 
famished  tigers,  who  regard  these  villages  as  their 
especial  preserves  of  both  animals  and  men. 

The  Carians  are  an  extraordinary  race,  at  least,  to 
be  found  living  beneath  the  rule  and  amidst  so  war- 
like a  people  as  the  Burmese ;  for,  although  worship- 
pers of  Guadama — that  is,  as  far  as  they  worship  at 
all — they  are  quakers  in  principles.  More  robust  in 
form,  and  of  whiter  complexion  than  their  masters, 
the  Burmese,  they  are  at  the  same  time  a  simple, 
innocent  people,  mild  and  hospitable  to  strangers ; 
like  the  patriarchs  of  old,  they  are  without  other 
laws  than  those  of  custom  and  tradition  ;  entertain  a 
hatred  for  cities ;  never  intermarry  with  other  races  ; 
lead  a  purely  pastoral  life,  which  they  pursue  with 
unremitting  industry ;  and,  moreover,  believe  in  uni- 
versal peace,  which,  as  you  may  imagine,  keeps  them 
in  a  state  of  slavish  submission.  Their  language  is 
radically  the  same  as  the  Burman,  though  the  very 
different  dialect  they  speak  renders  it  difficult  even 


MISUNDERSTANDING   WITH    BUFFALOES.  153 

for  a  good  Burmese  scholar  to  understand.  I  have 
said  they  worship  Guadama,  the  god  of  the  Burraans  ; 
it  is,  however,  with  little  fervor,  for  they  do  not 
even  comprehend  his  doctrine,  or  indeed,  any  other. 
Moreover,  they  seem  to  inherit  a  stupid  and  deter- 
mined belief  that  it  Avas  pre-ordained  that  religious 
knowledge  should  for  ever  be  denied  them ;  for, 
although  sufficiently  enlightened  to  know  and  admit 
their  ignorance,  they  assign  as  the  reason,  "That 
God  once  wrote  his  laws  and  commands  on  the  skin 
of  a  buffalo,  and  called  upon  all  nations  of  the  earth 
to  come  and  take  a  copy — a  summons  which  all 
obeyed  except  the  Carianers,  who,  being  occupied  in 
the  business  of  husbandry,  had  not  leisure,  and  that 
in  consequence  of  that  neglect  they  have  remained  in 
a  state  of  ignorance,  without  any  other  cares  than 
those  in  connection  with  their  pastoral  employment." 
Hospitable  as  I  know  these  simple  people  to  be, 
even  to  ordinary  strangers,  I  was  surprised  at  the 
reception  we  met  with  at  the  hands  of  the  family 
(some  seven  men,  women,  and  children)  of  our  two 
guides  ;  their  delight  seemed  to  have  no  bounds — the 
men  offered  us  their  food,  one  even  a  favorite  buffalo  ; 
the  women  took  gold  ornaments  from  their  ears,  and 
cowrie  shells  from  their  necks  to  lay  them  at  my  feet ; 
they  danced,  they  capered,  they  sang,  that  is,  after 
their  fashion  ;  but  what  was  more  agreeable,  so  great 
was  their  delight,  that  they  roasted  a  fine  buck  for 
our  supper.  This  was  a  rare  event,  for  the  little  re- 
ligion they  possess  forbids  the  killing  of  animals  for 
food ;  and  ail  this  because — well,  what  I  could  dis 


154:  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT. 

C0Ver_because  the  sahib  had  been  the  means  of 
bringing  to  condign  punishment  the  crocodile  which 
had  made  a  meal  of  the  beloved  eldest  son  of  the 
family.  Thus  was  I  made  a  hero,  as  many  others,  I 
believe,  have  arrived  at  the  same  honor,  by  mere 
accident— in  fact,  by  running  away— which,  by  the 
way,  reminds  me  that  at  Marathon  House,  Fulham, 
the" boys  had  an  axiom  that  "two  mulls  are  as  good 
as  a  spin." 

Now,  whether  from  the  consciousness  that  these 
honors  were  undeserved,  or  from  great  fatigue,  I  know 
not,  but  probably  the  latter,  my  brain  grew  dizzy, 
my  eyes  became  dim, — in  fact,  I  wanted  a  good 
sleep ;  our  hosts  perceiving  this,  one  of  them  in- 
stantly conducted  us  to  the  other  division  or  half  the 
house,  which,  although  the  whole  family  would  have 
to  be  huddled  together  in  the  other  like  a  litter  of 
pigs,  they  hospitably  and  generously  devoted  to  our 
sole  use. 

This  apartment,,  although  without  a  vestige  of 
furniture,  a  hole  in  the  roof,  which  seemed  for  the 
double  purposes  of  window  and  chimney,  and  nothing 
but  the  rough  unplaned  boards  upon  which  to  rest 
our  tired  limbs,  was  the  best  bed-room  of  the 
family  and  of  which,  after  loading  the  rifle,  having 
the  ladder  drawn  up,  and  the  house-door  closed,  we 
showed  our  best  appreciation  by  falling  fast  asleep, 
and  probably  joining  in  the  concert  of  grunting, 
barking,  lowing,  squeaking  of  the  animals  beneath 
our  heads. 


NAON   IN   DANGER.  155 


CHAPTER    XIH. 

THE  WHITE   ANTS   CAUSE  NAON  TO   MEET  WITH   A 

DISASTER. 

Although,  defiantly  of  the  hard  boards  which 
formed  my  bed,  I  soon  sank  into  a  deep  sleep,  about 
daybreak  I  was  startled  by  a  crash  and  a  great  up- 
roar of  horses'  hoofs,  the  barking  of  dogs,  and  the 
fluttering  and  flapping  of  wings ;  and,  between  asleep 
and  awake,  I  cried  aloud — 

"  Up,  ISTaon,  the  tigers  are  upon  us." 

But  ISTaon  did  not  answer.  He  sleeps  soundly,  and 
I  must  awaken  him,  I  muttered ;  so  creeping  through 
the  darkness  toward  him  with  one  hand  feeling  about 
me,  to  my  surprise  I  could  find  no  ISTaon ;  but  crawl- 
ing further  upon  my  knees  and  hands,  imagine  my  as- 
tonishment when  the  latter  suddenly  went  through  the 
floor,  and  I  found  myself  flat  upon  my  breast,  with 
my  head  hanging  over  a  hole.  Resting  thus  for  a 
moment  in  helpless  astonishment,  I  heard  the  half- 
caste  exclaiming — 

"  Sahib  Oliver,  help — help !  or  ISTaon  will  become 
the  food  of  beasts  ;"  then  a  chorus  of  grunts  and 
barks. 

"  Great  Heaven !  some  of  the  flooring  must  have 
given  way,"  I  exclaimed;  and  I  crawled  backward 
to  seize  my  rifle,  which,  to  my  shame,  I  admit  I  had 


156  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

placed  against  the  door,  doubtful  of  the  honesty  of 
the  good-natured  Carians  ;  but  before  I  could  seize 
the  weapon,  a  gleam,  a  glare  of  light  shot  upward 
through  the  hole ;  and  a  sight  presented  itself  which, 
but  for  its  seriousness,  would  have  made  me  laugh 
heartily. 

There,  with  a  torch  in  his  hand,  stood  our  senior 
guide,  who,  aroused  by  the  cries,  had  come  to  the 
rescue  of  the  poor  fellow,  who,  while  asleep,  had  fal- 
len through  the  flooring  among  dogs,  poultry,  and 
pigs  ;  and  it  was  the  latter  animals  chiefly  who,  both 
by  voice  and  action,  had  been  vehemently  objec- 
ting to  ISTaon's  so  rudely  forcing  himself  upon  then 
society. 

" Here,  catch  hold,  Naon,"  I  said,  handing  down 
the  rifle,  intending  to  drop  through  the  hole  to  his 
assistance;  but  the  Carian,  first  placing  his  finger 
upon  his  lips  to  betoken  silence,  forestalled  me  by 
"  making  a  back,"  by  which  Naon  at  once  re-ascended 
into  the  chamber  from  whence  he  had  made  so  inglo- 
rious a  descent. 

"The  Lord  of  heaven  be  thanked  it  is  no  worse," 
said  Naon,  philosophically,  holding  the  torch  (which 
the  Carian  had  given  him)  near  the  impression  his 
recumbent  body  had  made  in  the  flooring. 

"  No,  worse,"  I  repeated,  laughing. 

"  It  might  have  been  worse,  sahib ;  for,  awakened 
by  the  barking  of  the  dogs  and  trampling  of  horses' 
feet,  I  crawled,  as  I  thought,  toward  the  door ;  in- 
stead, however,  I  went  in  the  opposite  direction, 
when,  think  of  my  horror  at  finding  the  floor  crack, 


NAON   IN   DANGER.  157 

crash,  and  my  father's  son  nearly  consigned  to  the 
most  disgraceful  of  all  deaths,  that  of  being  buried  in 
the  stomachs  of  swine." 

"But  the  cause  of  the  uproar?  Are  the  tigers 
upon  us?"  I  said,  instinctively. 

"Worse,  sahib;  the  messengers  of  the  General 
Maha  Sihva,  who  is  on  his  march  to  Rangoon,  have 
arrived  with  orders  for  houses  to  be  built  for  him 
and  his  officers,  by  to-morrow  evening." 

"  Then  we  will  quit  the  village,  for,  not  to  avoid 
falling  into  the  hands  of  that  fierce  inhuman  form 
would  be  madness,"  said  I. 

"  But  sahib,  the  roads  are  occupied." 

"  Nevertheless,  we  must  not  be  taken,  Naon." 

"Let  the  sahib  remain  in  this  hut  till  the  Maha 
has  passed." 

"  But  these  Carians,  can  we  trust  them  ?  for  they 
know  that  I  am  one  of  those  whose  countrymen  are 
now  invading  their  nation." 

"The  sahib  may  trust  the  Carians,  for  great  is 
their  hatred  to  the  Maha,  who,  although  by  the  law 
he  dares  not  seize  them  for  soldiers,  as  he  may  other 
tribes,  will  plunder  them  of  their  food  and  cattle." 

"  But  the  Maha  cannot  reach  here  so  soon." 

"  Such  is  his  message,  sahib,  and  the  Carians  re- 
gard it  with  the  certainty  of  fate." 

"  Then  he  must  take  up  his  lodging  in  the  old  pal- 
ace we  passed  near  the  village." 

"  Such  would  not  be  possible,  sahib,  for  the  palace 
was  built  for  the  Engy  Tikien"  (heir  to  the  throne). 

"  Surely  it  is,  for  the  Maha  is  not  too  big,  nor  the 


158  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

palace  too  small ;  moreover,  it  is  untenanted,  except 
by  the  white  ants,"  I  said,  laughing. 

"  Nevertheless,  it  is  not  possible,  for,  although  it  is 
shameful  and  disgraceful  for  a  Burman  to  rest  but  a 
single  day  in  a  house  wanting  in  the  size  and  decora- 
tions due  to  his  rank,  it  is  a  crime  punishable  with 
instant  death  for  a  praw  (lord),  however  exalted  he 
may  be,  to  enter  a  house  erected  for  a  personage  but 
a  single  step  above  him  in  station." 

"Truly,  I  have  heard  of  this  foolish  custom."  But, 
ere  I  could  say  more,  the  head  of  the  family,  our 
senior  guide,  came,  and,  having  conducted  us  into  the 
other  division  of  the  house,  at  once  corroborated  all 
Naon  had  said ;  adding,  that  as  the  Maha's  messen- 
gers had  delivered  their  orders  and  proceeded  on 
their  way  to  Rangoon,  he  would  find  us  a  hiding- 
place  ;  a  kindness  I  thought  more  than  a  return  for 
the  trifling  favor  I  had  conferred  upon  them  by  invol- 
untarily entrapping  to  his  death  the  crocodile  which 
had  destroyed  their  relation. 

Not  so,  however,  these  good-natured  people ;  for 
not  only  did  they  procure  for  us  the  best  viands  to 
be  found  in  their  village,  but,  as  an  especial  mark 
of  their  gratitude,  put  before  me  a  fruit  the  purchase 
of  which  must  have  straitened  their  not  too  plentiful 
means. 

This  fruit,  which,  in  all  probability,  you  have  never 
heard  of,  is  one  of  the  luxuries  of  Burmese  royalty,  and 
affords  an  apt  illustration  of  the  old  adage  "That 
what  is  one  man's  meat,  is  another  man's  poison."  It 
is  named  the  durian,  and  is  about  the  size  of  a  cocoa- 


NAON    IN    DANGEK.  159 

nut,  green,  and  covered  with  sharp  short  points. 
The  outer  prickly  pod  is  divided  into  four  or  five 
lobes,  in  each  of  which  are  three  or  four  smooth 
brown  stones,  enveloped  in  a  stringy  custardy  pulp, 
which  is  the  eatable  portion,  there  being  but  little 
fruit  for  so  great  a  show.  Now,  the  scent  of  this 
fruit  is  so  frightful  and  revolting  that,  even  at  the 
risk  of  seriously  offending  these  simple  people,  I  was 
compelled  to  beg  of  them  to  take  it  out  of  the  house ; 
which,  after  the  matter  had  been  explained  by  Naon, 
they  did  with  considerable  wonderment  and  chagrin. 
Yet,  so  adaptable  is  the  human  palate,  that,  although 
at  first  to  me  its  odor  was  offensive,  and  its  taste 
revolting,  in  the  course  of  time,  with  me,  as  with  most 
persons  who  lived  in  the  East,  by  mere  force  of  habit, 
this  durian  became  a  favorite  fruit. 

But  you  are  curious  to  know  the  cause  of  Naon's 
queer  adventure.  Well,  it  was  neither  more  or  less 
than,  first,  carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  Carian 
family,  who  had  neglected  the  only  preventive  of 
such  an  accident, — namely,  saturating  the  timbers  of 
their  house  with  petroleum,  or  earth-oil ;  and,  se- 
condly, that  minor  scourge  of  the  East,  termed  by 
naturalists  termites,  but  popularly  known  by  the 
name  of  the  white  ant. 

That  Naon's  misadventure  had  been  caused  by  an 
insect  Avhich  is  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in 
length,  I  could  not  have  believed,  notwithstanding 
the  protestation  of  our  host,  but  for  a  comical  inci- 
dent, which  happened  by  way  of  proof.  The  host, 
evidently  discerning  signs  of  unbelief  in  my  couu- 


160  THE   WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

tenanee,  arose  from  the  floor,  upon  which  we  were 
all  sitting  at  our  meal,  saying — 

"  The  sahib  shall  see  white  ant  very  terrible,  spe- 
cially to  poor  peasants ;"  and,  having  left  us  for  a 
short  time,  returned  with  a  log  of  wood  some  ten 
feet  in  length,  and  four  feet  in  diameter  ;  indeed,  so 
large,  that  I  was  surprised  at  the  ease  with  which  he 
carried  it.  Placing  this  upon  the  floor  he  said,  "  See, 
sahib,  that  piece  of  tree  is  large,  but  white  ant  could 
eat  it  all  up." 

"Truly,  if  very  numerous,  with  great  appetites, 
and  a  few  months  to  do  it  in,"  said  I. 

"  The  Carian's  words  are  good,  sahib ;  the  white 
ants  would  eat  their  way  through,  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  in  twenty-four  hours,"  said  Naon, 
gravely. 

This  assertion  was  too  much  for  my  risible  faculties. 
"That  log!"  I  said.  "Why,  I  should  as  soon  be- 
lieve that  my  own  slight  weight  would  flatten  it  into 
a  board." 

"  Perhaps  it  would,  sahib,"  said  Kaon. 

Laughing  at  Naon's  assertion  I  jumped  upon  the 
wood.  Its  surface  did  not  resist  my  Aveight,  and  I 
fell  to  the  ground,  or  rather  in  the  middle  of  the  log, 
where  I  laid  at  full  length,  as  if  in  a  canoe  without 
ends,  to  the  alarm  of  the  peasants,  and  the  laughter 
of  Naon,  who  had  sought  by  way  of  experiment,  to 
convince  me  of  the  destructive  powers  of  the  white 
ants. 

For  the  instant  I  felt  provoked ;  but  keeping  my 
temper,  I  said — 


NAON   IN   DANGER.  161 

"You  arc  right,  Naon,  I  no  longer  dispute  the 
appetites  of  these  little  insects.  Yet,"  I  added, 
"  although  this  thick  log  has  been  eaten  through,  it 
must  have  taken  them  a  long  time." 

"  It  is  not  so,  noble  colar ;  that  log  was  one  of  the 
extra  supports  of  this  house,  and  cut  from  the  forest 
less  than  a  moon  since,  and  had  we  not  omitted  to 
cover  it  with  earth  oil,  the  only  j)reventive  against 
these  insects,  it  would  have  been  solid  now." 

"  Is  it  possible,  then,  that  all  the  supports  of  this 
house  are  in  the  same  state  ?"  said  I,  expecting  that, 
like  !S~aon,  we  should  have  to  pass  through  another 
adventure  with  the  pigs. 

"  Not  so,  sahib ;  the  others  are  saturated  with  the 
oil ;  but  this,  which  the  Nats,  unfortunately,  caused 
to  be  placed  beneath  the  resting  place  of  the  noble 
colar's  worthy  attendant,  was  awaiting  the  coming  of 
the  next  supply  from  the  wells  of  Yenang-young,', 
replied  our  host. 

I  afterward  found  that  such  accidents  were  not  by 
any  means  unfrequent ;  and  that  so  secretly  do  these 
insects  effect  their  lodgement,  that  the  peasantry,  and 
even  the  higher  classes,  who  foolishly  neglect  the  use 
of  the  earth-oil,  do  not  discover  their  proximity  until 
they  have  effected  almost  irreparable  damage  to  their 
houses. 

Many  curious  stories  are  told  of  the  destructive 
power  of  these  little  insects.  Old  Kaempfer  says,  "The 
white  ant  is  a  small  slender  worm,  perfectly  white,  like 
snow.  They  live  together  in  commonalty,  as  our 
European  ants  do:  from  whom  they  do  not  much 
11 


162  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

differ  in  shape  and  bigness.  Their  head  and  breast 
are  of  a  brownish  dark  color,  and  hard  to  the  touch. 
The  Japanese  call  them  doo-toos  (piercers)  ;  an  epi- 
thet they  well  deserve,  for  they  pierce  and  perforate 
whatever  they  meet  with,  stones  and  ore  only 
excepted ;  and  when  once  they  get  into  a  merchant's 
warehouse,  they  are  able  within  a  very  short  compass 
of  time  to  ruin  and  destroy  his  best  goods.  Our 
common  European  ants  are  their  mortal  enemies ;  and 
whatever  place  the  one  sort  takes  possession  of,  the 
others  must  necessarily  quit.  They  are  no  more  able 
than  moles  to  support  the  open  air,  and  whenever 
they  go  out  upon  an  expedition,  they  defend  them- 
selves by  building  arches  or  trenches  along  their  line 
of  march,  which  they  know  how  to  tie  fast  to  the 
ground.  These  arches  are  much  of  the  same  sub- 
stance with  that  of  wasp's  nests. 

"  During  my  stay  at  Coylang  a  Dutch  fort  on  the 
coast  of  Malabar,"  Ksempfer  adds,  "  I  had  an  apart- 
ment assigned  to  me  in  the  governor's  house.  One 
night  I  did  not  go  to  bed  till  midnight.  The  next 
morning,  when  I  arose,  I  took  notice  of  the  marks 
of  such  arches  upon  my  table,  which  were  about  the 
bigness  of  my  little  finger  ;  and  upon  a  more  accurate 
inspection,  I  found  that  these  animals  had  pierced  a 
passage  of  that  thickness  up  one  foot  of  the  table,  then 
across  (though,  as  good  luck  would  have  it,  without 
any  damage  done  to  the  paper),  and  so  down  through 
the  middle  of  the  foot  into  the  floor ;  and  all  this  was 
performed  within  a  few  hours'  time." 

That  the  white  ant  has  an  especial   fondness  for 


NAON   IN   DANGER.  16 


q 


wood  I  had  many  proofs  in  the  forests,  where  the 
number  of  trees  to  be  found  injured  by  them  is  sur- 
prising ;  for  in  the  woods  they  do  not  conceal  their 
nests,  but  boldly  build  them  either  near  the  root  or 
high  upward ;  and  frequently  trees  which  appear  to 
be  robust,  and  of  noble  size,  upon  pressure,  prove  to 
be  mere  bark,  the  sap  and  wood  beneath  being  eaten 
away,  as  had  been  my  experimental  log. 

Fond,  however,  as  they  are  of  wood,  white  ants 
are  neither  Epicureans  or  squeamish  in  their  choice 
of  the  particular  substance  upon  which  they  work, 
as  an  amusing  anecdote  told  by  a  recent  traveler  will 
testify.  While  the  French  occupied  the  Mauritius, 
the  Minister  of  Marine  in  Paris,  on  examining  the 
annual  reports  forwarded  to  him  from  the  colony, 
observed  that  year  after  year  the  destruction  of  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  iron,  as  well  as  other  stores, 
was  ascribed  to  the  white  ant.  Now,  although  in 
those  days  French  ministers  were  not  over  severe  in 
their  scrutinies  of  the  expenditure  of  the  public  mon- 
eys, or  the  waste  of  public  stores,  they  yet  required 
some  decent  excuse.  The  idea,  however,  of  these 
small  insects  being  capable  of  destroying  iron  bolts, 
bars,  and  other  implements  so  tickled  his  fancy,  that 
in  the  next  shipment  of  stores  to  the  colony,  the  min- 
ister humorously  included  a  box  of  files,  with  instruc- 
tions that  they  were  to  be  employed  in  filing  the  teeth 
of  these  obnoxious  foes.  In  this  instance,  however, 
the  minister's  humor  was  misplaced,  for  the  slimy 
substance  which  they  emit,  and  with  which  their 
nests  and  covered  ways  are  formed,  is  of  so  corrosive 


164  TTTE   "WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

a  nature,  that  even  iron  yields  to  its  influence,  and 
rusts  to  decay. 

Having  given  you  incidents  illustrative  only  of  the 
mischievous  side  of  their  character,  I  must,  even  at 
the  risk  of  tediousness,  give  you  also  a  notion  of  the 
ingenuity,  if  not  genius,  of  these  little,  animals,  of 
which  there  are  several  species,  one  of  which  lives  in 
communities  and  kingdoms,  beneath  a  building  of 
earth  of  conical  shape,  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  high, 
under  a  regular  form  of  government,  and  the  rule  of 
a  limited  monarchy. 

Like  the  English  constitution,  the  community  is 
divided  into  three  estates — king,  lords,  and  commons ; 
or,  as  naturalists  term  them — laborers,  soldiers,  and 
perfect  insects — the  first  being  the  workers,  the 
second  fighters,  or  protectors  of  the  workers,  and  the 
king  or  queen ;  the  third  being  those  only  who  are 
capable  of  being  elected  king  or  queen,  the  test  of 
that  capacity  being  their  capability  of  continuing 
their  species  by  laying  eggs,  and  being  provided  with 
wings,  which  nature  very  wisely  and  wonderfully 
gives  to  them  alone,  and  that  only,  as  I  shall  show 
you,  for  a  very  short  time.  It  is  also  curious  and  in- 
teresting to  know  that  nature  has  adapted  the  bodies 
of  each  of  these  separate  classes  in  each  kingdom — 
which,  remember,  are  all  of  the  same  parents — namely, 
the  ruling  king  and  queen,  to  its  separate  function, 
for  the  laborer  is  of  brownish  color,  less  than  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  in  length,  delicate  and  slender,  with 
a  distinct  head,  chest,  and  abdomen,  with  six  legs, 
and  a  mouth  calculated  for  gnawing ;  while  the  sol- 


NAON    IN    DANGER.  165 

dier  is  half  an  inch  long,  equal  in  hulk  to  fifteen 
lahorers,  with  jaws  shaped  like  a  crab's  claw,  so  that 
they  are  incapable  of  any  thing  else  hut  piercing  or 
wounding.  The  royal  or  propagating 'class,  which  is 
supposed  to  exhibit  the  insect  in  its  most  perfect 
state,  varies  still  more,  the  head,  throat,  and  abdomen 
being  almost  totally  different  in  form  from  the  other 
classes ;  besides  which,  they  possess  four  large  trans- 
parent wings,  with  which,  at  the  time  of  emigration, 
they  wend  their  way  in  search  of  a  new  settlement, 
and  found  a  new  kingdom  ;  curiously,  in  the  winged 
state,  the  insect  is  equal  in  bulk  to  thirty  laborers,  or 
two  soldiers,  and  has  two  large  eyes  placed  on  each 
side  of  the  head ;  whilst  in  the  others  they  are  not 
easily  distinguishable. 

You  who  have  only  seen  the  ant-hills  of  England 
will  scarcely  credit  that  the  hills  of  the  insects  of 
which  I  am  telling  you  rise  in  height  from  eight  to 
twelve  feet,  and  are  so  large  and  strong,  that  when 
about  half  erected,  it  is  the  practice  of  the  wild  bulls 
to  stand  sentinels  upon  them  whilst  the  rest  of  the 
herd  is  ruminating  below;  moreover,  so  numerous 
are  they  in  some  parts,  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
stand  upon  any  cleared  and  open  space  where  one  of 
these  buildings  is  not  to  be  seen  within  fifty  paces, 
and  frequently  two  or  three  are  to  be  witnessed 
almost  close  to  each  other ;  indeed,  in  Senegal,  the 
traveler  Adanson  tells  us,  their  number,  magnitude, 
and  closeness  of  situation  make  them  appear  like  the 
villages  of  the  natives. 

The  interior,  however,  of  one  of  these  hills  is  sin- 


166  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

gularly  interesting,  and  suggests  the  comical  idea 
that  man,  the  lord  of  creation,  might  have  borrowed 
some  of  his  usages  from  even  the  little  ant.  First,  as 
royalty  is  the  notion  in  which  they  are  all  born,  their 
primary  object  is  to  secure  the  comfort  and  dignity 
of  the  king  and  queen ;  consequently  the  royal  cham- 
ber is  placed  as  near  the  centre  as  possible,  is  the 
shape  of  a  very  small  egg  at  first,  but  increased  in 
size  accordingly  as  the  royal  family  increase,  beauti- 
fully ai-ched,  and  furnished  with  doors  which  are  so 
small  that  only  the  laborers  and  soldiers  can  go  in 
and  out;  while  king  and  queen,  who  are  of  larger 
size,  like  many  other  sovereigns,  pay  for  their  dignity 
by  exclusion  from  their  subjects. 

On  all  sides  of  the  royal  chamber  are  apartments, 
where  the  laborers  and  soldiers  wait  to  guard  and 
serve  their  king  and  queen,  who  are  also  their  com- 
mon parents.  These  apartments  extend  a  foot  or 
more  round  the  royal  chamber.  Then  commence  the 
nurseries,  wherein  the  little  snow-white  princes  and 
princesses,  both  in  and  out  of  eggshells,  are  brought 
up ;  and  the  magazines,  which  are  always  kept  well 
provided  with  provisions,  such  as  gums  and  the  in- 
spissated juices  of  plants.  These  galleries  and  cham- 
bers are  continued  one  above  the  other  to  within  two- 
thirds  of  the  height  of  the  interior  of  the  hill,  leaving 
an  open  area  in  the  middle  under  the  dome,  like  the 
nave  of  a  cathedral.  The  dome  is  apparently  sup- 
ported by  four  large  gothic  arches,  which  suggests 
to  my  mind  that  that  grand  style  of  ai'chitecture 
must  not  only  be  the  purest  and  most  natural,  but 


NAON   IN   DANGEBi  16  T 

that  the  little  ants  must  have  a  very  grand  nature  to 
have  conceived  such  a  style,  for,  with  all  their  clever- 
ness, I  cannot  believe  that  ever  a  genius  existed 
among  them  capable  of  visiting  and  copying  from  the 
old  gothic  priests. 

There  are  also  great  subterranean  galleries,  and 
passages  lined  with  thick  clay,  which  ascend  out- 
wardly in  a  spiral  manner.  There  are  also  sloping 
descents,  reaching  a  depth,  perpendicularly,  of  three 
or  four  feet,  from  which  they  procure  the  clay,  which, 
being  worked  in  the  mouths  of  these  insects,  becomes 
almost  as  hard  as  stone.  It  is  by  these  subterranean 
passages,  and  their  talent  for  undermining,  their  cities 
spread  to  such  a  vast  extent,  that  if  all  the  nests  are 
destroyed  within  one  hundred  yards  of  a  human 
dwelling  the  ant  inhabitants  of  hills  at  a  compara- 
tively vast  distance  will,  nevertheless,  carry  on  their 
subterranean  galleries,  and  invade  the  same  dwelling 
by  sap  and  mine  till  they  have  effected  great  mis- 
chief. 


163  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  EIGHT  WITH   A  TIGER. 

While  our  Mud  hosts  were  considering  by  what 
means  they  could  hide  us  from  this  terrible  Maha 
Silwa,  whose  promised  coming  seemed  to  have  fright- 
ened the  whole  village  out  of  its  senses,  a  young  man 
ran  up  the  ladder  and  threw  himself  at  their  feet. 

"  Guadama  be  praised,  the  good  Nats  be  thanked, 
our  Mikee  has  escaped  the  Praw  Silwa,"  exclaimed 
the  parents  and  son  simultaneously. 

"  The  Maha,  my  father,  with  a  mighty  amiy  is  now 
on  the  war-path  to  sweep  the  rebels  from  the  land  of 
the  Golden  Foot,"  was  the  reply ;  "  but  these  colars 

,"he  added,  glancing  suspiciously  at  Naon  and 

me. 

"  We  are  ungrateful  my  son,"  said  the  father,  who 
in  his  joy  at  his  son's  return,  which  was  evidently 
unexpected,  had  for  the  moment  forgotten  us  ;  adding, 
"  Thy  father  and  his  sons  are  the  slaves  of  this  noble 
colar  till  we  have  redeemed  ourselves  by  paying  the 
debt  we  owe  him." 

"  Slaves,  my  father !  Have  we  escaped  the  bond- 
age of  the  tiger  Burman  to  become  the  slaves  of  the 
colar"  (foreigner  or  stranger),  said  Mikee. 

"My  son,  the  praw  colar,  and  his  noble  attendant, 
saved  thy  father  and  brother  from  the  monster  who 


A   FIGHT    WITH   A   TIGER.  1G9 

destroyed  our  beloved  relative,"  said  the  mother ; 
then  telling,  with  words  of  praise  I  cannot  repeat, 
the  whole  story  of  the  crocodile. 

This  was  enough ;  the  young  man's  suspicions 
vanished,  and  falling  upon  the  floor  before  me,  he 
vowel  to  be  my  slave  till  he  had  paid  the  debt  he 
considered  owing  by  his  family.  When,  however,  to 
remove  some  of  the  weight  from  his  conscience,  I 
told  him  that  I  considered  the  hospitality  already 
afforded  by  his  parents  a  sufficient  return  for  the 
killing  of  a  mere  crocodile,  he  leaped  upon  his 
feet,  danced,  screamed — indeed,  as  I  then  thought, 
went  straightway  mad.  Stopping,  however,  for  an 
instant,  and  turning  his  eyes  full  upon  me,  he  cried — 

'•'•Kill — dead!  is  it  dead?"  for  his  parents  had 
purposely  omitted  the  climax  of  the  adventure. 

"Dead,  truly  it  is,  and  eaten  by  the  hunters  by  this 
time,"  said  I;  and  this  strange  being  having  again 
danced  and  screamed  for  joy,  threw  himself  upon  his 
knees,  and  exclaimed  fervently — 

"Then  will  the  slave  of  the  praw  colar  (lord 
stranger)  never  remove  his  feet  from  the  hunting- 
grounds  till  by  one  great  service  he  has  fully  proved 
his  gratitude  to  his  master !" 

I  did  not,  however,  at  the  time,  place  great  faith  in 
this  promise ;  for  I  had  become  so  accustomed  to 
eastern  hyperbole,  and  so  well  understood  the  un- 
grateful natures  of  the  people  of  Burma,  that,  to  use 
a  common  phrase,  it  passed  in  at  one  ear  and  out  of 
the  other.  What  it  did  mean,  however,  you  will 
discover  in  proper  time,  for  the  peasant  kept  his  word. 


170  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"But  theMaha  Silwa!  we  shall  fall  into  his  hands, 
sahib,"  said  Naon,  trembling  as  he  spoke. 

"Is  there  no  path  through  the  woods  known  to  the 
hunter,  by  which  we  may  journey,  and  yet  avoid  the 
soldiers  of  the  Maha  ?"  I  asked. 

"  It  would  be  as  easy  to  tread  the  bed  of  the  Irra- 
waddy  without  meeting  a  crocodile,  O  noble  colar ; 
for,  although  the  main  body  of  the  army  is  with  the 
Maha,  the  remainder  are  spread  over  the  country  and 
through  the  paths  and  jungles,"  replied  Mikee. 

"  Then,  truly  we  must  remain  within  this  house  till 
the  danger  is  over,"  said  I. 

"It  is  not  possible,  O  noble  colar;  for,  although  the 
body  of  the  poor  Carian  is  safe  from  being  taken  to 
swell  the  armies  of  the  Burman,  no  Burman  chief 
passes  through  a  village  without  plundering  every 
house  of  its  cattle  and  food,"  said  Mikee,  thought- 
fully. 

"  Then  we  must  take  our  chance  in  the  woods ; 
Mikee  has  vowed  himself  the  slave  of  the  colar,  will 
he  be  his  guide  ?"  said  I. 

"  Mikee  dares  not  meet  the  soldiers  of  the  Maha, 
from  whom  he  has  so  narrowly  escaped ;  for,  alas ! 
he  is  no  longer  a  peaceful  Carian,"  said  the  father. 

"Then  you  have  deceived  me  by  your  boasts, 
Mikee,"  I  said,  angrily. 

"  It  is  not  so  ;  the  slave  will  serve  his  master  with 
his  life,  for  he  owes  him  a  debt  which  he  has  sworn 
to  repay,"  was  the  reply  ;  but  having  pondered  awhile, 
he  added — 

"The  villagers    are  now  preparing  to  hunt   the 


A   FIGHT   WITH   A   TIGEK.  171 

deer;  let  the  praw  (lord)  and  his  noble  attendant 
join  in  the  hnnt,  for  among  the  crowd  they  may 
escape  notice,  even  should  they  fall  in  with  the  sol- 
diers. Then,  when  the  sun  sinks,  we  may  leave  the 
hunters,  and  make  our  way  to  Paree,  where  Mikee 
has  a  boat,  in  which  the  colars  may  safely  journey  to 
Yenang-young  as  oil-carriers,  which  is  their  servant's 
occupation." 

"  A  capital  scheme,"  said  I,  not  a  little  pleased ; 
whereupon  the  oil-carrier  left  the  house  to  make  the 
necessary  preparations  for  the  journey ;  but  so  cu- 
rious had  I  become  to  learn  something  of  this  young 
man's  previous  history  that,  addressing  the  parents,  I 
said — 

"But  how  is  this?  Can  Mikee  be  thy  son,  and 
yet  not  a  Carian,  for  the  lamb  cannot  change  its  na- 
ture ?" 

"  Is  it  possible  for  Guadama  even  to  graft  the 
nature  of  the  tiger  upon  that  of  the  lamb,"  said  our 
host,  piously,  adding — 

"  Thus,  from  his  birth  has  Mikee  been  different 
from  his  relations ;  scorning  their  peaceful  occupa- 
tions, he  has  ever  been  restless  to  burst  aside  the 
bonds  of  slavery  of  his  tribe.  Alas  !  the  opportunity 
has  never  been  granted,  for  the  poor  Carian  is  not 
permitted  to  serve  in  the  armies  or  the  hunting-fields 
of  the  Golden  Foot.  This  restlessness  became  in- 
creased some  many  moons  since  by  a  learned  sage, 
who,  while  resting  at  this  village,  prophesied  that 
there  was  glory  in  store  for  Mikee  and  his  family, 
for  the   boy  would   some    day  light   upon    a  dis- 


172  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

covery  that  would  so  gain  him  the  favor  of  the 
Golden  Foot  that  his  majesty  should  bestow  upon  him 
wealth,  lands,  and  the  tslao  (string  of  nohility).  This 
prophecy  preyed  upon  his  mind,  till  he  dreamed  that 
while  walking  in  a  forest  he  suddenly  fell  upon  the 
hiding  place  of  a  lord  White  Elephant,  and  believing 
that  to  be  the  only  discovery  that  would  gain  him 
the  favor  of  the  Golden  Foot  and  the  strings  of  no- 
bility, he  has  since  then  known  rest  neither  by  night 
nor  day ;  for  truly,  though  so  great  a  discovery  is 
rare,  and  a  benevolence  from  Guadama,  it  is  yet  pos- 
sible." 

"  Truly  a  Carian  may  not  be  admitted  among  the 
king's  elephant  hunters,  who  are  a  separate  tribe  ?" 
said  Naon. 

"  This  is  our  misery,  and  thus  we  are  ever  fearing 
for  his  safety,  O  noble  colar ;  for,  determined  to  be  a 
mighty  hunter,  Mikee  has  established  himself  as  a 
carrier  of  oil  and  fish  between  this  village  and  Yenans;- 
young." 

"  But  how  can  that  make  him  an  elephant  hunter  ?" 
said  I. 

"By  carrying  oil  he  obtains  money,  and  out  of 
every  three  moon's  journey  he  spends  one  in  the  forests 
with  his  rifle,  spear,  and  dab.  (hatchet),  believing  that 
gods  are  good  to  the  vigilant,  and  that  the  finding  of 
a  lord  White  Elephant  would  be  his  excuse  to  the 
Golden  Foot  for  breaking  the  laws." 

"But,  should  he  be  fortunate  enough  to  find  the 
animal,  he  will  not  be  able  to  catch  it  without  other 
aid." 


A  FIGHT   WITH   A   TIGER.  173 

"  The  noble  colar's  words  are  wise ;  but  being  the 
discoverer  of  the  herd  among  which  it  is  taken,  Mikee 
would  be  held  the  chief  of  the  hunters,  and  rewarded 
as  the  favored  of  Guadama." 

At  that  moment  Mikee  returned. 

"  The  hunters  are  prepared  to  start ;  the  noble 
colars  must  hasten,"  said  he. 

Whereupon,  by  the  aid  of  the  family,  ISTaon  and 
myself  changed  our  dresses  for  others  still  more 
scanty,  namely,  that  of  Burmese  peasants :  a  loose 
open  jacket,  equally  loose  short  breeches,  a  linen 
handkerchief,  tightly  bound  around  our  brows,  and 
our  hair  tightly  drawn  up  from  the  back  into  a  large 
round  ball.  At  a  great  risk,  however,  I  would  pre- 
serve the  light  shoes  I  then  had  upon  my  feet,  fear- 
ing to  trust  my  bare  soles  upon  the  earth.  The  most 
disagreeable,  but  the  most  important  portion  of  the 
transformation  I  had  to  undergo,  was  the  smearing 
over  of  my  face,  hands,  legs,  and  arms  with  a 
light  mahogany-colored  preparation,  so  that  at  a  dis- 
tance— and  it  was  not  my  intention  to  approach  suffi- 
ciently near  the  enemy  for  personal  inspection — I 
should  pass  muster  among  the  swarthy-skinned  na- 
tives of  the  village,  from  whom  I  had  no  fear,  as  they 
all  most  cordially  agreed  in  hating  the  Maha  and  his 
soldiers,  for  whom  they  were  compelled  to  leave  then* 
occupations  and  provide  food. 

Thus  attired,  and  equipped  after  the  Burman 
fashion  with  sword  and  shield,  also  my  good  rifle, 
which  I  would  upon  no  account  have  left  behind, 
Naon,  Mikee,  and  myself  sallied  forth  to  join  the  deer 


17i  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

hunters,  who  were  assembled  outside  the  palisades 
of  the  village. 

The  order  of  march,  although  tumultuous  aud 
noisy,  and  attended  with  as  much  bravado  and 
boasting  as  if  it  had  been  a  great  army  on  its  way  to 
conquest,  instead  of  a  body  of  Asiatic  quakers,  was 
accompanied  by  much  good  nature.  The  party 
consisted  of  fifty ;  that  was  about  one  half  the  popu- 
lation ;  the  other  half  remained  behind  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  mansion  and  huts  in  readiness  for  the 
Maha  and  his  officers,  which,  like  Aladdin's  palace, 
were  to  be  erected  in  a  few  hours. 

The  leader  of  the  party  was  Mikee,  for  whom, 
both  as  a  traveler  and  hunter,  the  mob  seemed  to 
have  great  veneration.  Across  the  small  plain  which 
skirted  the  village,  the  whole  party  marched  in  great 
disorder ;  approaching,  however,  the  narrow  path  of 
the  jungle,  a  single  line  was  formed,  headed  by 
Mikee,  Naon,  and  myself,  and  closed  by  a  number  of 
men  carryi  g  bamboo  sticks. 

As  we  passed  through  the  thick  jungle,  several  of 
the  party  continued  to  make  a  great  noise  with  tom- 
toms, for  the  purpose  of  frightening  the  tigers  with 
which  it  abounded ;  but  great  as  was  the  din  created 
by  the  voices  of  the  men,  and  the  sound  of  the  tom- 
toms, one  terrific  scream  was  heard  above  all.  There 
was  a  rush  forward  so  suddenly  that  I  fell  to  the 
ground,  and  was  stumbled  over  by  my  immediate 
folio wers.  Before  I  could  scramble  to  my  feet  again, 
I  heard  a  loud  shriek,  a  groan,  then  a  rush  through 
the  tall  reeds,  and  a  terrible  growl. 


A   FIGHT   WITH   A   TIGEK.  175 

"The  tiger !  the  tiger  !"  was  the  cry  on  all  sides. 

"  Lord  of  heaven !  she  has  taken  a  man  with  her," 
said  Naon. 

"Steady,"  said  Mikee,  softly,  his  great  eyeballs 
scarcely  less  glaring  than  that  of  the  tiger ;  adding, 
as  he  crouched  upon  his  knees  and  hands,  "  the  devil 
shall  die,  our  friend  shall  be  revenged." 

"  Stay,  man,  surely  you  would  not  venture,  without 
a  rifle,  to  attack  the  beast,"  said  I. 

"Mikee  is  a  great  hunter;  he  will  revenge  his 
friend,"  he  said,  sternly;  adding,  "the  noble  colar 
has  fought  with  a  more  terrible  enemy,  therefore  is 
not  like  the  Carians,  in  fear.  Let  him  follow  softly 
with  his  rifle." 

"  I  will.  It  will  cover  you,"  said  I,  making  up  my 
mind  at  once  to  the  course  I  intended  to  follow. 

"Then  Mikee,  upon  knees  and  hands,  with  his 
sword  beneath  his  arm,  and  his  shield  moved  upward 
upon  his  shoulder,  crawled  forward ;  fortunately  the 
jungle  here  had  been  beaten  down ;  probably  it  was 
a  tiger  track. 

"  Softly,  and  we  shall  come  upon  the  brute ;"  and 
Mikee  moved  forward.  Then  we  heard  a  suppressed 
growl,  by  which  we  knew  the  savage  animal  had 
stopped  to  devour,  or  at  least  to  play  with  its  prey. 
A  little  further  on,  through  an  opening,  we  saw  a 
scene  that  lives  in  my  eyes  at  this  moment. 

The  bleeding  corpse  of  the  poor  Carian,  which  the 
tiger  had  carried  upon  his  back,  lay  extended  upon 
the  grass,  the  beast  either  not  caring  for,  or  believing 
itself  safe  from  pursuit;   for  it  was  an  old  tigress, 


176  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

who  had  been  taught  by  experience  with  what  im- 
punity she  might  steal  one  man  from  a  party  without 
being  followed  by  his  comrades,  that  stood  with  one 
paw  upon  the  breast,  and,  as  if  it  heard  or  scented 
us,  with  its  head  turned  in  the  direction  of  our  ap- 
proach. 

It  was  a  terrible  moment ;  I  leveled  my  rifle  over 
Mikee's  shoulder,  at  the  same  time  saying — 

"  I  have  a  good  sight,  I  will  fire." 

"  No ;  hush,"  he  replied ;  and  we  waited  at  least 
three  minutes,  which  were  lengthened!  by  terrible 
anxiety  as  I  gazed  at  the  flaming  eyeballs  of  the 
brute. 

Our  silence  at  length  threw  the  beast  off  its  guard: 
she  was  now  about  to  commence  her  fearful  repast. 
Like  a  cat  with  a  mouse,  she  walked  around  the 
body,  patting  it  with  her  paws,  as  if  to  make  it  move; 
then,  lashing  her  tail  to  and  fro,  and  keeping  up  a  low 
growl,  she  turned  her  head  from  us.  Mikee's  oppor- 
tunity had  arrived ;  so,  as  he  fixed  his  shield  upon 
his  left  arm  and  grasped  his  sword  firmly,  he  said — 

"Should  I  miss  her,  take  time  for  aim,  and  fire, 
not  before,"  and  instantly  leaped  through  the  open- 
ing. Unfortunately,  his  foot  slipped — he  fell  upon 
his  back.  The  tigress  quitted  her  prey,  and  in  a 
second  had  her  claw  upon  his  breast.  That  blow 
from  the  claw  alone  would  have  given  him  his  death 
wound,  had  he  not  either  instinctively,  or  with  won- 
derful presence  of  mind,  so  placed  his  shield  that  it 
caught  and  so  rendered  harmless  the  beast's  paw. 

Now  my  opportunity  had  arrived  for  proving  the 


A   FIGHT   WITH    A   TIGEB.  177 

value  of  my  rifle,  and  a  bullet  pierced  her  neck.  It 
would  not,  however,  have  served  Mikee ;  for,  instead 
of  killing,  it  but  directed  her  rage  to  her  new  enemy, 
myself,  toward  whom  she  glanced  fiercely,  and,  re- 
moving her  paw  from  Mikee,  prepared  to  spring; 
but  as  she  did  so  Mikee's  sword  passed  into  her 
heart,  and  thief  and  assassin  as  she  was,  she  rolled 
over  dead. 

"  Bravo,  Mikee !  thou  art  indeed  a  mighty  hunter," 
said  I. 

"Mikee  deserves  no  praise,  since  but  for  the  noble 
colar's  rifle  he  would  have  been  defeated.  A  great 
hunter  relies  upon  his  own  arm  alone,"  said  he ;  ad- 
ding, "  our  brother  is  revenged,  and  the  murderer 
will  do  to  feed  the  soldiers  of  the  Maha." 

Then  giving,  not  a  whistle — for,  curious  as  it  may 
appear,  no  native  of  Pegu  or  Burma  can  whistle — 
but  a  low  shriek,  the  deer  hunters  burst  through  the 
jungle,  and  when,  after  many  exclamations  of  grief  at 
the  sight  of  the  dead  body  of  their  friend,  and  loud 
praises  of  both  Mikee  and  myself  as  heroes,  a  small 
party  carried  the  body  of  the  dead  man  back  to  the 
village.  We  then  proceeded  in  search  of  a  herd  of 
deer,  which  we  discovered  at  a  distance  of  about  a 
mile  further  onward.  The  noble  animals  were  gra- 
zing, or  ruminating,  among  some  tall  grass,  while  two 
of  their  number  (apparently  the  oldest  and  most  ex- 
perienced) stood  as  sentries  near  the  opening  of  the 
jungle. 

As,  however,  the  operations  resemble,  both  in  spirit 
and  cowardice,  the  common  battue  of  England,  when 
12 


IT 


78  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

a  party  of  sportsmen,  attended  by  servants  holding 
loaded  pieces,  and  others  who  beat  down  the  poor 
frightened  and  over-fed  birds,  till  they  fall  in  whole- 
sale slaughter,  from  the  shot  of  blaze  gentlemen  who 
find  a  pleasure  in  the  morbid  love  of  destruction 
without  having  to  encounter  that  personal  danger 
and  fatigue  which  gives  the  true  salt  to  hunting  of 
any  kind,  I  shall  merly  describe  the  process. 

First,  at  a  signal  from  Mikee,  the  men  extended 
themselves  in  a  long  curved  line,  gradually  bending 
the  curve  till  they  had  formed  a  circle,  in  the  midst 
of  which  the  deer  grazed  :  the  first  movement  which 
contracted  the  circle  alarmed  the  animals,  who,  per- 
ceiving themselves  enclosed  on  all  sides,  kept  up  a 
bleating  noise,  at  the  same  time  huddled  themselves 
together.  One,  now  and  then,  more  courageoes  than 
the  rest,  or  in  fear  for  its  mate,  would  attack  the 
party  nearest  with  its  horns,  only,  however,  to  be- 
come the  first  victim.  Then  the  circle,  becoming 
more  and  more  contracted,  the  party  with  the  bam- 
boo sticks  constructed  a  fence,  which,  being  comple- 
ted, the  whole  party  entered,  and  cut  down  deer  after 
deer  till  they  were  all  destroyed. 

Nothing  could  have  reconciled  me  to  this  wholesale 
slaughter  but  the  fact  that  they  were  necessary  for 
human  food  ;  shocked,  however,  as  I  was,  I  was  not 
prepared  to  find  a  sympathetic  feeling  in  a  half-civ- 
ilized Burman.  It  was  so,  however ;  for  asking  Mikee 
why  he  did  not  join  in  the  sport,  he  said — 

"  The  sword  of  Mikee  is  not  for  the  graceful 
and  harmless  antelope,  but  for   the    ruthless   tiger, 


A   FIGHT    WITH    A   TIGER.  179 

who  is  the  enemy  of  man;"  adding,  with  flashing 
eyes,  "  Mikee  seeks  to  become  a  mighty  conqueror 
of  the  lords  of  the  woods,  to  offer  life  for  life,  to  emu- 
late the  glories  of  the  mighty  Geily  Khan,  his  ances- 
tor." 

"  Geily  Khan  ?  How  is  it  possible  he  could  have 
been  thy  ancestor,  for  truly  it  is  a  Mogul  name  and 
title,  while  thou  art  a  Carian,"  said  I,  with  surprise. 

"  Mikee  is  a  Carian,  his  ancestors  were  taken  pris- 
oners in  war  by  the  Burmans,  and  rather  than  fight 
in  their  armies  became  slave  Carians.  Nevertheless, 
the  blood  of  Geily  is  in  the  veins,  and  the  spirit  of 
Geily  is  in  the  heart  of  Mikee,"  the  hunter  replied ; 
adding,  as  we  sat  upon  the  plain  to  partake  of  a  meal 
prepared  by  one  of  the  party,  "  Would  the  noble  colar 
listen  to  the  story  of  Geily  Khan  ?" 

"  I  should  indeed  like  to  hear  the  history  of  this 
wonderful  man,"  I  replied ;  and  Mikee  began. 


ISO  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A  WILD  BEAST   COMBAT;   WE  SEEK  SHELTER  FROM 
THE   MONSOON. 

It  was  the  birthday  of  the  mighty  Mogul,  Scach 
Coram;  the  inhabitants  of  the  empire  were  tumul- 
tuous to  give  him  diversion  and  do  him  honor. 
Attended  by  his  great  lords,  he  had  been  to  the 
palace  of  the  author  of  his  being,  the  empress  mother, 
to  pay  his  respects  and  offer  presents.  After  dinner 
he  put  on  his  most  gorgeous  robes,  covered  with  gold 
and  precious  stones.  Thus  glittering,  and  attended 
by  his  lords  in  their  richest  dresses,  he  had  entered  a 
tent,  in  the  centre  of  which  were  a  pair  of  golden 
scales,  in  which  he  weighed  himself  by  bags  of  silver, 
gold,  precious  stones,  silk  stuffs,  linen  cloth,  pepper, 
cloves,  nutmegs,  wheat,  pulse,  and  herbs,  and  having, 
by  reference  to  the  account  kept  of  the  previous  year's 
weighing,  found  that  he  had  but  satisfactorily  in- 
creased in  weight,  he  seated  himself  upon  his  throne 
of  ivory,  gold,  and  diamonds,  and  caused  to  be  cast 
amongst  his  lords  curious  and  costly  jewels,  wrought 
in  the  shape  of  pistachios  and  almonds. 

The  gorgeous  throne  was  erected  at  one  side  of  tho 
wild-beast  court,  the  arena  of  which  was  about  to 
become  the  scene  of  a  great  fight  between  animals, 
and  also  between  animals  and  men,  for  great  was  the 


A   WILD   BEAST   COMBAT.  181 

love  of  the  Mogul  for  such  diversions,  as  it  brought 
forth  the  bravest  men  of  his  dominions. 

The  first  fight  was  between  a  wild  bull  and  a  lion, 
and  the  next  that  of  a  lion  and  tiger.  As  soon  as  the 
tiger  saw  the  lion,  he  went  straight  toward  him,  and 
closing  with  all  his  strength,  got  him  down,  and  the 
audience  shouted,  believing  the  tiger  had  the  victory ; 
but  the  lion,  recovering  his  position,  fastened  his  teeth  in 
the  throat  of  the  tiger,  whereupon  a  great  struggle  en- 
sued, and  continued  till  fatigue  caused  both  annuals 
to  desist,  both  much  hurt,  but  neither  mortally. 

Then  the  chief  minister  came  forth,  and  proclaimed 
the  Mogul's  wish,  •  to  see  whether  there  were  any 
among  his  subjects  of  sufficient  courage  to  engage 
any  of  the  beasts  with  sword  and  buckler  alone; 
adding,  that,  if  victorious,  be  he  who  or  what  he 
might,  he  should  not  only  receive  the  imperial  favor, 
but  the  title  of  khan. 

The  challenge  being  accepted  by  an  Indostan,  a 
furious  lion  was  let  forth.  The  beast,  seeing  his 
adversary  enter  the  arena,  made  toward  him,  and  a 
terrible  conflict  ensued,  till  at  length,  unable  to  bear 
the  weight  of  the  beast,  the  man  began  to  let  fall  his 
buckler,  which  the  lion  endeavored  to  force  from  him 
with  his  right  paw,  while  with  his  left  he  was  about 
seizing  his  antagonist  by  the  throat ;  suddenly,  how- 
ever, the  Indostan  pulled  a  dagger  from  his  girdle, 
and  thrust  it  so  far  into  the  lion's  jaws  that  he 
was  forced  to  quit  his  hold  and  get  away.  Seeing 
his  advantage,  the  man  followed  and  slew  the  beast 
with  his  dagger. 


182  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Great  were  the  acclamations  of  the  audience  at  the 
victory,  till  the  Mogul,  ordering  silence,  said,  with  an 
angry  smile — 

"  It  must  needs  he  confessed  thou  art  a  brave  man, 
and  that  thou  hast  fought  very  valiantly,  but  did  I 
not  forbid  thee  to  engage  this  beast  with  any  advan- 
tage, and  appoint  the  arms  to  be  used  ?  Yet  hast 
thou  done  contrary  to  my  order,  and  not  overcome 
my  lion  as  a  person  of  honor,  but  hast  surprised  the 
poor  beast  with  forbidden  arms,  and  so  hast  killed 
him  as  a  murderer,  and  not  as  a  declared  enemy  ?" 

Having  thus  spoken,  the  mighty  Mogul  ordered  the 
Indostan  to  be  immediately  ripped  up,  and  the  body 
to  be  set  upon  an  elephant  and  carried  through  the 
city  of  Delhi  as  an  example  to  others. 

The  challenge  was  again  proclaimed,  and  accepted. 
The  next  man  was  more  honorable,  but  was  instantly 
slain  and  torn  to  pieces  by  the  tiger  which  he  en- 
countered. Still  this  did  not  deter  another  from 
coming,  who,  although  of  low  stature  and  miserable 
countenance,  at  once  fiercely  attacked  the  tiger, 
which  beast,  flushed  with  its  previous  success,  ran  at 
once  to  meet  its  antagonist.  The  man,  however, 
with  wonderful  presence  of  mind,  and  an  eye  so  fixed 
and  firm,  that  it  bespoke  him  capable  of  becoming  a 
leader  among  men,  struck  off  the  fore-paws  at  one 
blow  with  his  sword,  and  having  thus  disabled, 
speedily  dispatched  the  animal. 

Great  were  the  acclamations  at  this  victory,  and 
great  was  the  pleasure  of  the  Great  Mogul  at  finding 
he  had  so  great  a  hero  in  his  dominions,  and  who, 


A   WILD    BEAST   COMBAT.  183 

hearing  that  his  name  was  Geily,  sent  to  him  a  dress 
of  rich  brocade  by  the  hands  of  a  great  lord,  who, 
upon  presenting  it,  said — 

"  Geily,  receive  this  garment  from  my  hands,  as  an 
assurance  of  the  favor  of  our  most  mighty  lord  the 
Great  Mogul,  who  sends  it  thee  as  a  pledge  thereof" 

Receiving  the  garment,  and  prostrating  himself  to 
the  earth,  as  in  duty  bound,  Geily  put  it  to  his  breast 
and  eyes,  and  afterward  holding  it  in  the  air,  and 
having  made  a  short  prayer  to  himself,  said  aloud — 

"My  prayers  to  God  are,  that  the  Mogul's  glory 
may  be  equal  to  that  of  Tamerlane,  from  whom  he  is 
descended;  may  his  arms  prosper,  may  his  wealth 
be  increased,  may  he  live  seven  hundred  years,  and 
may  his  house  be  established  for  ever." 

Then  there  came  to  him  two  eunuchs,  who  con- 
ducted him  to  the  Mogul's  chamber.  At  the  en- 
trance whereof  two  khans  took  him  between  them, 
and  so  brought  him  to  the  Mogul's  feet,  which  Geily 
kissed;  after  which,  the  Mogul  said — 

"  It  must  be  confessed,  O  Geily  If/ian,  that  thou 
hast  done  a  very  great  and  glorious  action,  I  there- 
fore bestow  on  thee  that  title  and  quality,  which  thou 
shalt  enjoy  for  ever.  I  will  be  thy  friend,  and  thou 
shalt  be  my  servant." 

"  Thus,  O  noble  colar,"  said  Mikee,  "  did  one  single 
great  action  lay  the  foundation  of  a  great  fortune ; 
for  Geily,  who  was  not  so  much  as  known  before,  grew 
famous  by  his  bravery  in  commanding  the  armies  of 
the  Great  Mogul,  whose  enemies  he  defeated  in  every 
encounter — and  that  Geily  was  the  ancestor  of  thy 


2S4  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

slave,"  and  Mikee  remained  pensive  for  some  time, 
no  doubt  indulging  in  many  ambitious  longings  and 
aspirations. 

What  would  poor  Mikee  think,  if  he  were  alive, 
now  that  the  last  crowned  descendant  of  that  mighty 
Mogul,  the  King  of  Delhi,  is  in  slavery,  a  condemned 
felon  in  Rangoon,  the  chief  seaport  of  Pegu,  which 
kingdom  is  itself,  like  the  empire  of  the  great  house 
of  Tamerlane,  a  mere  dependency  of  the  British 
Queen,— aye  what  would  he  think  ?  Perhaps,  as  we 
do,  that  it  is  far  better  that  the  selfish,  cruel,  and 
barbarian  grandeur  of  the  Asiatic  princes  is  crushed, 
and  that  a  rule  is  being  inaugurated  which  will  at  the 
same  time  render  it  as  impossible  in  India,  as  in 
England,  for  a  single  despot,  in  a  selfish  whim,  to 
degrade  the  minister  of  to-day  to  the  slave  of  to- 
morrow, or  which  is  worse,  raise  with  a  breath,  as 
perhaps  you  are  aware  was  done  by  a  late  king  of 
Oude,  a  barber  to  a  position  equal  with  that  of  the 
prime  vizier  himself. 

For  a  time  Mikee  continued  to  indulge  in  his 
reverie,  not  heeding  the  noise  made  by  the  deer 
hunters,  who  were  now  hastily  retracing  their  steps. 
Neither  do  I  know  how  long  it  would  have  lasted, 
for  I  could  not  find  it  in  my  heart  to  disturb  him,  had 
it  not  been  for  a  distant  sound  that  reached  his  ear, 
when,  startled  for  a  moment,  he  arose  to  his  feet,  and 
gazed  about  him;  then  falling  suddenly,  he  placed  his 
ear  to  the  ground ;  after  which,  he  said,  "  Mikee 
deserves  to  be  a  slave,  for  he  forgets  his  friends  when 
the  tigers  are  upon  their  track." 


A    WILD   BEAST    COMBAT.  185 

"'lis  the  sound  of  the  tom-toms,  and  the  war 
horses  and  war  elephants  of  the  Maha's  army,"  said 
Naon,  trembling,  while  I  must  confess  myself  to 
having  been  alarmed. 

"  The  noble  colar's  attendant  lets  his  limbs  shake 
like  a  reed  in  the  wind,"  said  Mikee,  laughing. 

"  The  slave  means  to  betray  us,"  replied  Naon. 

"  Silence,  thou  coward  !"  said  I ;  and,  seeing  the 
eyes  of  the  hunter  flash  with  indignation,  I  added — 

"  Does  Mikee'.s  ears  tell  him  these  sounds  are  from 
the  enemies  of  the  colar  ?" 

"  Mikee  can  never  fail.  Let  the  noble  colar  fol- 
low," was  the  reply,  as  he  led  us  toward  a  different 
opening  in  the  jungle  than  that  from  which  we  had 
emerged  upon  the  antelopes  ;  adding,  as  we  entered 
the  narrow  pathway,"  "  this  pathway  leads  to  the 
forest ;  once  there,  we  can  reach  the  river,  where  the 
noble  colar  will  be  safe." 

Along  that  pathway,  with  our  eyes  strained,  and 
ears  upon  the  alert  for  the  sound,  either  of  wild 
beasts  or  wilder  men,  we  trudged  for  hours,  till  we 
entered  a  dense  forest  of  noble  cocoa  and  palm  trees  ; 
indeed,  it  is  from  a  species  of  the  latter,  called  the 
areca,  that  is  procured  the  celebrated  nut,  which 
with  the  betel-leaf,  so  many  of  the  Asiatic  popula- 
tions are  for  ever  chewing,  and  which,  whether  in 
emperor,  empress,  peasant,  peasantess,  or  even  the 
little  boys  and  girls,  is  ever  oozing  from  the  month  in 
crimson  saliva,  and  the  continued  use  of  which 
blackens  the  teeth  at  so  early  a  period  of  life.  But, 
as  so  much  has  been  said  about  this  habit  without 


186  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

giving  a  description,  I  must  pause  to  tell  you,  that 
the  trunk  of  the  areca-palm  is  straight  without 
branches,  like  the  cocoa,  whose  leaves  it  resembles  in 
growth.  The  fruit,  which  is  about  the  size  of  a 
pullet's  egg,  like  the  walnut,  has  a  green  covering, 
which  consists  of  numerous  fine  filaments,  running 
lengthways  from  the  stalk  to  the  head,  under  which 
is  contained  the  fruit  or  nut,  which  is,  externally,  of  a 
brown  color,  and  shaped  like  a  nutmeg  at  one  end, 
but  flat  at  the  other.  It  is  white  within,  and  marbled 
with  purple  veins,  but  has  very  little  taste.  The  way 
this  nut  is  taken  is  by  wrapping  a  piece  in  a  betel-leaf, 
mixed  with  lime  made  of  calcined  shells  ;  the  latter 
to  qualify  the  bitterness  of  the  betel,  which  is  a  plant 
peculiar,  or  nearly  so  to  the  sea  coasts. 

It  is  the  constant  use  of  this  mixture  that  causes 
in  Asiatics  the  continual  saliva  which  renders  it  nec- 
essary for  persons  of  rank  to  be  for  ever  attended  by 
bearers  of  the  betel-box  and  spitting-boxes;  upon 
which,  disgusting  as  it  must  appear  to  you,  the  prin- 
oes  and  lords  of  Asia  lavish  immense  sums.  In  Burma 
the  size,  and  gold,  silver,  coj)per,  or  wooden  material 
of  which  they  are  made,  are  regulated  strictly  accor- 
ding to  the  rank  and  dignity  of  the  owner ;  and  woe 
unto  him  whose  ambition  leads  him  to  carry,  or  has 
carried,  a  betel-box  or  spitting-box  superior  to  his 
station.  Some  luxurious  people  use  the  areca  and 
betel  mixed  with  camphor,  aloes-wood,  musk,  or 
ambergris,  for  they  believe  it  strengthens  the  gums, 
heart,  stomach,  and  brain.  "Whether  this  be  true,  I 
will  not  question  ;  certain,  however,  it  is,  that  it  is  a 


A   WILD   BEAST   COMBAT.  187 

filthy  habit,  which  blackens,  and  in  time  loosens  the 
teeth.  Perhaps,  however  we  should  not  be  too  se- 
vere in  reviewing  the  habits  of  the  Asiatics,  while  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race  still  continue  to  smoke,  and  what 
is  worse,  to  chew  tobacco. 

At  length  feeling  greatly  fatigued,  I  said — 

"  Can  we  reach  the  river  before  sundown,  O  Mi- 
kee  ?  If  not,  we  had  better  encamp  for  the  night 
beneath  one  of  these  trees." 

"True,  sahib,  and  light  a  fire  around,  which  will 
serve  both  to  warm  the  rice  and  tea,  and  protect  us 
from  the  tigers,"  said  Naon. 

"The  river  is  many  hours'  journey,  noble  colar,  and 
we  must  rest  till  daybreak ;  there  is  a  cave  near  at 
hand ;  if  the  noble  colar  wants  strength,  let  him  drink 
of  the  suri ;  it  wdll  refresh  him." 

The  advice  was  good,  and  quickly  followed ;  for 
not  only  was  a  cocoa-tree  at  hand,  but  its  fruit  at  our 
very  feet.  This  suri  is  of  a  grateful  taste,  and  intox- 
icates like  wine.  It  is  sweet  when  newly  extracted, 
but  in  a  short  time  becomes  more  acid.  It  is  from 
this  liquor  that  a  spirit  like  arrack  is  distilled. 

How,  however,  we,  or  rather  Mikee,  for  it  was  he 
alone,  obtained  the  spirit,  was  by  making  an  incision 
in  the  bark  of  the  fruit,  from  which  the  liquor  dropped 
^  into  the  flask  which  had  contained  the  liqueur  belong- 
ing to  the  English  officer.  This  suri,  if  found  earlier 
in  the  day  than  when  we  obtained  it,  is  even  more 
delicious  than  the  milk  of  the  nut.  As  it  wTas,  al- 
though refreshing  enough  to  aid  me  upon  my  journey, 
I  still  found  it  rather  sour  and  vinegary.    Apropos 


188  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

of  vinegar,  in  order  to  make  it  from  this  spirit,  the 
natives,  when  they  have  collected  a  sufficient  quantity 
in  their  vessels,  put  the  latter  among  lime  for  fifteen 
days,  by  which  a  violent  fermentation  being  excited, 
much  froth  thrown  up,  and  a  whitish  matter  subsi- 
ding to  the  bottom,  the  suri  is  changed  into  vinegar. 

A  kind  of  sugar  is  also  prepared  from  the  suri  by 
putting  into  it  a  sufficient  quantity  of  lime  to  -tinge  it 
of  a  reddish  color,  the  liquor  is  then  boiled  and  stirred 
oontinually  till  it  is  inspissated  ;  whei*eby  a  red  sugar 
is  produced,  which  they  make  white  by  repeated  dis- 
solutions and  boilings. 

Continuing  along  the  path,  now  so  narrow  that  we 
were  obliged  to  walk  in  single  file,  i.e.  one  by  one, 
and  seeing  Mikee,  who  led  the  way,  creeping  as 
stealthily  and  softly  as  a  cat  about  to  spring  upon  its 
prey,  I  said — 

"  Does  the  hunter  fear  the  tiger  ?" 

"The  tigers  with  two  legs — the  soldiers  of  the 
Maha,  for  there  is  a  wide  path  within  bow-shot," 
said  he. 

"Then  why  choose  this?"  I  asked,  almost  angrily. 

"  There  is  no  other,  noble  colar ;  and  the  cave  is 
near,"  was  the  reply. 

"  May  we  soon  reach  it,  sahib,  or  we  shall  be 
drowned,"  interposed  Naon,  pointing  to  the  heavens, 
across  which  black  and  angry  clouds  were  travel- 
ing. 

" True,  Naon,  it  is  the  begining  of  the  monsoon ;" 
it  may  burst  upon  us  to-night. 

"  It  will,"  said  Mikee,  as  the  wind,  which  had  dur- 


A    WILD    BEAST   COMBAT.  189 

ing  the  whole  day  been  increasing,  blew  a  blast  that 
bent  the  tall  reeds  to  the  earth,  and  seemed  to  threaten 
to  tear  the  huge  trees  upward  from  their  roots. 

In  a  few  minutes  we  had  passed  through  the  path 
into  a  vast,  open,  but  swampy  plain,  covered  with 
tall  rank  grass — grass  so  tall  that  a.mounted  horse- 
man might  have  ridden  through  it  without  being  seen. 

"  Lord  of  heaven,  sahib,  no  decent  white  man  can 
pass  through  this  grass,"  said  Naon,  shrugging  his 
shoulders,  and  shivering  by  anticipation. 

Here  I  must  remark  that,  like  most  half-castes, 
Naon  prided  himself  greatly  upon  being  a  white  man, 
and  upon  every  opportunity  exhibited  his  antipathy 
to  the  color  of  his  mother,  albeit  he  would  have  had 
much  difficulty  in  passing  for  a  European  even  among 
the  children  of  his  own  father's  nation — Portugal. 
Mikee,  however,  took  no  other  notice  of  the  allusion 
to  his  color  than  by  saying — 

"Let  the  white  man  stay  to  be  drowned;"  adding, 
as  his  eye  fell  upon  an  opening  in  the  grass  some  few 
yards  ahead,  "  see,  noble  colar,  the  tiger  cannot  for- 
get its  lair ;  Mikee  has  found  the  cave ;"  and  leading- 
onward  through  the  opening,  we  soon  reached  some 
rising  ground  of  sandstone  formation. 

You  would  call  it  a  hill  in  this  country,  for  it  was 
at  l<?ast  some  thirty  or  forty  feet  high,  but  in  a  moun- 
tainous region  like  Burma,  it  is  not  even  worthy  of 
so  lngh-sounding  a  name. 

"  Lord  of  heaven,  there's — a  cobra !"  exclaimed 
Naon,  jumping  at  least  two  feet  upward  from  the 
ground. 


190  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"Where?"  exclaimed  both  myself  and  Mikee  at 
the  same  moment. 

"There!"  replied  IsTaon,  pallid  with  alarm,  and 
pointing  to  a  dark  object  just  distinguishable  in  the 
low  grass. 

"  Kill  it,  then,"  said  Mikee,  abruptly,  but  biting 
his  lip  to  avoid  laughing. 

Before,  however,  the  words  had  left  his  lips,  Naon, 
in  his  fright,  and  with  his  full  strength,  struck  so 
heavy  a  blow  at  the  head  of  the  reptile,  that  his  sword 
shivered  in  two  pieces.  He  looked  dismayed  and 
ashamed.  Mikee  and  myself  laughed  outright.  The 
dreaded  cobra  proved  to  be  but  the  arm  of  a  tree 
which  had  been  blown  down,  and  upon  the  prickly 
shoots  of  which  Naon  had  trodden,  and  feeling  them 
enter  his  skin,  had  taken  them  for  the  fangs  of  one 
of  those  reptiles  which  had  killed  his  father ;  the 
thought  of  which,  doubtlessly,  ever  haunting  him,  he 
had  given  himself  up  as  lost. 

"The  white  man  is  no  hunter;  he  should  remain 
in  towns,"  said  Mikee ;  adding  immediately,  as  we 
came  to  a  cavernous  opening  in  the  hill,  "  This  is  our 
resting-place," 

The  opening  was  large — large  enough  to  have  ad- 
mitted an  elephant.     Seeing  which,  I  said — 

"  This  will  protect  us  from  the  monsoon,  should  it 
burst  forth  during  the  night.  It  will  not,  however, 
protect  us  from  the  tigers  who  may,  if  they  have  not 
already,  seek  shelter  here." 

"  Will  the  noble  colar  lend  Mikee  his  rifle  ?"  said 
the  hunter;  and  taking  it  from  my  hand,  and  dis- 


A    WILD    BEAST    COMBAT.  101 

charging  it  into  the  cave,  lie  added,  "  see,  Mikee  is 
right,  there  is  no  tiger  there ;"  adding,  as  he  led  the 
way,  "follow." 

We  did,  into  the  wide  opening,  which,  upon  enter- 
ing, we  found  served  as  a  kind  of  vestibule  or  ante- 
chamber to  another  apartment,  which  we  reached 
through  an  aperture  about  breast  high  from  the 
ground,  and  but  little  more  than  large  enough  to  ad- 
mit the  body  of  a  man.  Small,  however,  as  was  the 
entrance,  this  inner  chamber  was  at  least  eight  feet 
square ;  and  from  the  iron  grating  in  the  domed  roof, 
the  smoothness  of  the  walls — in  which  were  at  least 
some  half-a-dozen  small  gilt  images  of  the  deity  Gua- 
dama,  inlaid  in  niches — and  the  level  paved  flooring, 
I  knew  to  have  been,  at  some  time  or  other,  a  human 
habitation. 

"This  has  been  the  retreat  of  some  pious  hermit," 
said  I. 

"A  hundred  moons  since,  it  was,"  replied  Mikee; 
adding,  "  but  the  holy  man  was  slain  by  robbers  in 
mistake.  Since  which  time  the  true  believers  in 
Guadama  (and  thy  servant  is  not  of  the  number) 
have  never  dared  to  venture  near  the  cave,  fearing 
not  only  that  the  place  where  holy  blood  had  been 
spilt  would  make  them  impure,  but  that  they  might 
meet  the  angry  spirit.' 

Mikee  said  no  more  at  that  time  ;  but  I  afterward 
found  he  had  chosen  that  place  as  a  retreat  wherein 
he  might  commune  with  himself,  and  from  his  plans 
to  carry  out  the  darling  object  of  his  existence — the 
discovery  of  the  hiding-place  of  a  White  Elephant, 


192  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

for  that  lie  had  observed  one  among  a  herd  in  that 
very  forest  nothing  could  dissuade  him.  Moreover, 
it  "was  not  impossible,  for,  although  as  yet  I  had  not 
seen  one  of  those  animals,  I  knew  that  they  were  to 
be  found  there. 

The  wind  howled  fearfully  among  the  grass  and 
the  trees  in  the  distance,  piercing  into  our  retreat. 
Amidst  the  noises  I  fancied  I  could  hear  the  scamper- 
ing feet  and  low  growls  of  wild  animals,  as  if  in  fear 
of  the  coming  storm. 

"  The  brutes  will  seek  shelter  in  the  outer  cave," 
said  I. 

"Let  us  kindle  a  fire,"  suggested  Kaon. 

"  Agreed,"  said  I,  and  we  retraced  our  steps  care- 
fully; and  having  collected  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
fuel,  placed  it  in  the  outer  cave. 

"But,"  said  I,  before  we  had  kindled  it  into  a 
blaze,  "  we  will  take  it  in  turns  to  watch  and  keep  it 
alive." 

"  Let  the  sahib  sleep ;  ISTaon  will  watch,"  said 
Kaon. 

"Mikee  will  watch,"  said  the  hunter;  adding,  "the 
noble  colars  are  not  hunters,  who  sleep  with  their 
eyes  open." 

This  I  agreed  to,  providing  Mikee  promised  to  take 
half  the  night  only,  and  then  awaken  me. 

"  It  is  good.  "When  the  noble  colar  awakes,  then 
Mikee  will  sleep." 

"That  is  fair;  but  take  the  rifle,  Mikee,"  said  I, 
placing  the  piece  in  his  hand. 

But  when  the  hunter  began  to  kindle  the  fire,  ISTaon 


A   WILD   BEAST   COMBAT.  193 

whispered :  "  This  is  not  wise ;  the  sahib  may  want 
the  weapon." 

"  Bah,  Naon,"  I  replied,  greatly  annoyed  that  he 
should  suspect  the  honesty  of  one  who  had  served  us 
so  well  as  Mikee,  and  in  whom  I  placed  so  much 
faith. 

Then,  when  we  had  made  our  way  through  the 
aperture,  and  stuffed  it  with  our  jackets  to  avoid 
suffocation  from  the  smoke,  we  laid  down  to  sleep ; 
no  easy  matter,  by  the  way,  for  that  night  the  rainy 
season  commenced  in  earnest — the  south-west  mon 
soon  had  oj?ened  in  all  its  fury.  But  as  you  may  feel 
somewhat  surprised  that  a  little  wind  and  rain  should 
be  capable  of  disturbing  the  rest  of  so  experienced  a 
traveler  as  myself,  I  must  give  you  a  slight  notion  of 
what  a  monsoon  really  is. 

Well,  then,  the  monsoon,  which  prevails  alone  in 
India,  and  is  named  from  the  Malay  word  moussin, 
which  signifies  season  is  a  wind  which  blows  one  half  the 
year  from  the  south-west  to  the  north-east,  and  the 
other  half  from  the  north-east  to  the  south-west.  The 
first,  being  accompanied  by  rain  and  wind,  is  called 
the  rainy  season,  and  commences  about  the  beginning 
of  June  by  the  appearance  of  vast  masses  of  clouds 
which  arise  from  the  Indian  Ocean,  but  thicken  as 
they  approach  the  land.  In  a  few  days  the  sky  as- 
sumes a  more  troubled  aspect  toward  evening ;  and 
as  on  that  occasion  in  the  cave,  it  generally  sets  in  at 
niaht :  first  with  violent  blasts  of  wind,  under  which 
the  stoutest  trees  have  a  difficulty  in  holding  their 
own,  and  which  are  but  the  forerunners  of  floods  of 


194:  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

rain  which  deluge  the  earth.  Lightning  flashes  unin- 
terruptedly, at  first  illuminating  the  sky,  showing  the 
clouds  near  the  horizon ;  then  discovering  the  distant 
hills,  and  leaving  them  again  shrouded  in  darkness ; 
then  in  an  instant  re-appearing  in  vivid  and  successive 
flashes,  which  exhibit  even  the  nearest  objects  in  all 
the  clearness  and  distinctness  of  noonday. 

The  thunder,  in  the  mean  time,  continues  in  loud 
peals;  and  when  it  ceases  the  rain  pours  in  tremen- 
dous volumes.  This  lasts  for  several  days ;  the  sky 
then  clears,  the  air  becomes  soft  and  pure,  the  rivers 
are  full  and  tranquil,  and  the  whole  face  of  the  earth, 
as  if  by  enchantment,  appears  clothed  with  thick  and 
luxuriant  verdure.  The  rain  after  this  falls  at  inter- 
vals for  about  a  month ;  then  it  increases  in  violence, 
and  attains  its  height  in  July,  when  it  descends 
thickly  and  heavily  from  the  heavens. 

Then  in  August  the  monsoon  somewhat  diminishes  ; 
in  September  it  abates,  or  is  entirely  suspended  until 
the  end  of  the  month,  when  it  again  reappears,  and 
departs,  as  it  came,  amidst  thunder  and  liijhtnino-  and 
all  the  turmoil  of  the  tempest.  Thus  you  have  the 
south-west  monsoon,  or  rainy  season,  to  which  suc- 
ceeds the  north-east  monsoon,  or  dry  season,  when 
the  heat  caused  by  this  hot  wind  renders  the 
greater  part  of  India  so  trying  to  the  health  of  Euro- 
peans. 

These  monsoons,  philosophers  tell  us,  are  to  be 
explained  by  the  rarefaction  of  the  air  induced  by  the 
sun's  rays,  and  consequent  rushing  in  of  a  colder  cur- 
rent from  the  sea  and  land;  while  the  mountainous 


A   WILD   BEAST   COMBAT.  195 

elevation,  or  plains  of  the  country,  which  modify 
the  influence  of  the  solar  rays,  sufficiently  account 
for  their  periodical  recurrence  and  local  peculiari- 
ties. 


196  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WE  ARE    SEIZED  BT    THE   ENEMY,    BUT   RESCUED 
BY  MIKEE. 

Notwithstanding  the  noise  of  the  raging  elements, 
and  the  vivid  streaks  of  lightning  which  at  intervals 
flashed  through  the  grating  across  our  eyes,  fatigue 
speedily  hushed  us  into  a  sound  slumher,  a  slumber 
from  which,  however,  I  was  speedily  awakened  by 
Naon,  who,  trembling  in  every  limb,  whispered — 

"  Awake !  sahib,  awake !  the  rascal  Carian  has  be- 
trayed us." 

"  Tush  !  you  coward  ;  you  have  been  dreaming," 
said  I,  rubbing  my  eyes  in  no  very  good  humor ;  and, 
moreover,  indignant  that  he  should  be  ever  ready  to 
suspect  the  hunter. 

"  It  is  no  tush,  sahib ;  it  is  real,  it  is  true  ;  and  we 
should  not  be  sleeping  here  when  in  another  minute 
we  may  be  seized  and  taken  to  the  Maha,  to  be 
spread  out  in  the  sun  like  dried  fish,"  he  replied  in- 
dignantly. 

""What mean  you?"  I  asked. 

"That  two  of  the  Maha's  soldiers  are  in  the  cave." 

Instantly  rising  to  my  feet,  I  pulled  one  of  the 
jackets  aside,  and,  to  my  dismay,  saw  two  armed 
men  in  close  converse ;  but  as  ready  as  a  drowning 
man  to  clutch  at  a  straw,  I  said — 


SEIZED   BY   THE   ENEMY.  197 

"  They  may  have  not  seen  us,  Xaon." 

"  That  is  unreasonable ;  but  suppose  they  have,  and 
are  only  awaiting  till  we  crawl  through  the  aperture 
to  take  us,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  if  so,  there  are  but  two ;  and  surely  we  are 
a  match  for  them,"  I  replied,  proudly. 

"  The  sahib  would  not  listen  to  the  words  of  Naon ; 
he  gave  up  his  rifle  to  the  Carian ;  moreover,  we  are 
in  a  trap,  at  the  hole  of  which  they  can  seize  us  like 
rats,  if  we  attempt  to  get  out." 

"  But  Mikee,  he  is  armed  with  the  rifle,"  said  I. 

"  True,  sahib ;  and  so,  if  he  were  not  a  rogue, 
might  have  kept  them  ofi",  or  at  least  have  given  us 
the  alarm." 

"  Indeed,  I  am  afraid  your  suspicions  are  correct," 
said  I,  gloomily. 

"The  Carian  has  sold  us  to  these  thieves  of  sol- 
diers," he  repeated  ;  and  I  despaired,  for  I  entertained 
the  same  belief. 

"  Yet,  I  said,  "  we  must  not  be  taken  easily,  at 
least  without  an  attempt  to  escape." 

"  Escape ;  yes,  it  would  be  good  ;  but  how  ?"  he 
replied  ;  adding,  "  but  no,  it  is  not  possible,  the  sahib 
is  in  dreamland." 

"  That  grating,  it  may  be  loose ;  let  us  try,"  said  I, 
and  in  an  instant  I  was  upon  Naon's  shoulders,  en- 
deavoring to  move  the  iron  bars. 

"  Hasten,  sahib,  the  rogues  are  moving,"  said  Naon ; 
and  as  he  spoke,  a  fierce-looking  Barman  soldier 
thrust  a  musket  through  the  aperture,  saying — 

"Let  the  colar  dogs  attempt  to  escape,  and  they  die." 


198  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"Lord  of  heaven,  it  is  of  no  use  now,"  cried  Naon, 
trembling  so  much  that  I  was  compelled  to  descend 
from  his  shoulders ;  indeed,  if  I  had  not,  I  believe  the 
Burman  Avould  have  brought  me  down  with  a  bullet. 

"  Will  the  colar  dogs  come  out  ?  or  will  they  die 
where  they  are  ?"  asked  the  savage,  with  a  demoniacal 
grin. 

"  Come  and  fetch  us,  thou  rogue,"  I  said,  foolishly ; 
for  to  provoke  the  brute  was  sheer  madness. 

"  Let  the  brave  warrior  have  patience,  and  we  will 
come,"  said  Naon,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word, 
and  making  his  way  through  the  hole,  crying  as  he 
went — 

"  Follow,  sahib,  or  he  will  fire  ;"  and  trusting  that, 
as  there  were  apparently  but  two  of  them,  some  op- 
portunity of  escape  might  soon  occur,  I  complied. 
The  instant,  however,  Ave  reached  the  other  side,  we 
were  seized,  and  our  arms  bound  behind. 

"  The  words  of  the  Carian  dog  were  good ;  this  is 
the  colar  rebel  for  whose  head  the  Maha  will  give 
reward,"  said  the  soldier,  whose  face  we  had  not 
hitherto  seen ;  but  whom,  to  my  chagrin,  I  now  rec- 
ognized to  be  the  soldier  who  had  accompanied  me 
from  the  pagoda,  and  by  whose  words  I  now  discov- 
ered that,  instead  of  acting  to  me  as  a  mere  guide, 
he  had  been  instructed  by  the  treacherous  officer  of 
the  Shoe  Dagon  to  deliver  me  over  to  the  first  party 
of  troops  he  might  meet. 

"  Thou  rascal !"  said  I  "  did  not  the  sahib  Johnson 
pay  the  rogue  of  a  pagoda  officer  a  large  weight  of 
silver  for  my  release  ?" 


SEIZED    BY    THE    ENEMY.  199 

"The  young  colar  prayed  that  he  might  be  permitted 
to  visit  the  Golden  City,"  said  the  soldier. 

"  I  did,  and  thou  wert  ordered  to  guide  me  on  the 
road,"  said  I. 

"The  young  colar  shall  go  now,"  said  he  ;  adding, 
"  but  this  time  he  must  not  play  his  servant  so  foul  a 
trick." 

Then  Naon  and  I  were  taken  outside  the  cave, 
where  we  saw  two  horses  saddled,  upon  one  of  which 
we  were  placed,  tied  back  to  back;  no  very  pleasant 
position  either,  especially  as  our  feet  were  secured 
by  ropes  beneath  the  animal,  so  that,  had  it  fallen, 
we  must  inevitably  have  broken  our  legs. 

Whether  intended  as  such  or  not,  it  was  kind  of 
them  to  give  us  this  horse,  for  it  rendered  it  necessary 
that  they  should  have  but  the  one  between  them; 
and  thus,  one  sitting  behind  the  other,  they  traveled 
leading  our  horse  by  a  cord,  which  being  not  only 
attached  to  the  animal,  but  to  the  ropes  which  bound 
us  together,  made  it  impossible  for  us  to  disconnect 
ourselves  without  their  knowledge. 

It  was  some  consolation,  however,  to  find  that  we 
were  traveling  in  a  contrary  direction  from  the  vil- 
lage ;  and  moreover,  in  the  direction  we  should  have 
taken  had  we  been  permitted  to  have  continued  our 
journey  without  their  company. 

Having  secured  us,  as  they  imagined,  beyond  all 
possibility  of  escape,  our  captors  rode  onward  scarce- 
ly deigning  to  turn  a  glance  toward  their  prisoners. 
When,  however,  they  began  to  converse  together, 
I  learned   that   they    belonged   to  the  army  of  the 


200  THE   WHITE   ELEniANT. 

Malia  Silwa,  who,  having  changed  his  mind,  or  rather 
his  plans,  in  which  were  included  his  call  at  the  Ca- 
rian  village,  had  dispatched  these  men  to  the  latter 
place  with  orders  that  the  supply  of  provisions  should 
be  sent  on  to  him  to  the  town  of  Mopee ;  to  which 
place,  notwithstanding  the  soldier's  assertion  that 
he  intended  taking  us  to  the  capitol,  I  feared  we 
were  proceeding. 

Then  they  conversed  of  a  battle  that  had  been 
fought  near  Rangoon,  in  which  the  English  had  been 
victorious,  although  the  British  fleet  had  nearly  been 
destroyed  by  the  Burmese  fire-rafts ;  ingenious  con- 
trivances of  bamboos,  firmly  wrought  together  in 
rows,  and  having  between  every  two  or  three,  a  line 
of  large  earthen  jars,  filled  with  petroleum,  or  earth- 
oil  and  cotton,  which,  with  other  inflammable  ingre- 
dients, distributed  in  different  parts,  when  lighted, 
give  forth  a  fierce  and  almost  unextinguishable  body 
of  flame. 

"  Many  of  the  fire-rafts,"  says  Major  Snodgrass, 
who  was  engaged  in  that  very  battle,  "  were  consid- 
erably more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  were 
divided  into  many  pieces,  attached  to  each  other  by 
means  of  long  hinges,  so  arranged  that  when  they 
caught  upon  the  cable  or  bow  of  any  ships,  the  force 
of  the  current  should  carry  the  ends  of  the  raft  com- 
pletely round  her,  and  envelope  her  in  flames  from 
the  deck  to  her  main-topmast-head,  with  scarcely  a 
possibility  of  extricating  herself  from  the  devouring 
element." 

Our  gallant  British  tars,  however,  were  not  suffi- 


SEIZED   BY    THE   ENEMY.  201 

ciently  asleep  to  require  any  such  means  of  aAvakening 
them ;  for  when  the  Burmans  launched  these  dread- 
ful engines  into  the  stream  with  the  first  of  the  ebb- 
tide, in  the  hope  of  driving  the  vessels  from  their 
stations  off  the  place,  and  they  were  followed  up  by 
war-boats,  ready  to  take  advantage  of  the  confusion 
which  might  ensue,  should  any  of  them  be  set  on  fire, 
their  skill  and  their  bravery  proved  more  than  a 
match  for  the  numbers  and  cunning  of  the  Burmans ; 
and  with  a  coolness  characteristic  of  British  seamen, 
they  entered  their  boats,  and  grappling  the  flaming 
rafts,  quietly  towed  some  past  the  shipping,  and  ran 
the  other's  ashore  upon  the  bank  among  the  enemy's 
buildings. 

Then,  in  the  midst  of  their  conversation,  our  cap- 
tors would  every  now  and  then  express  their  wonder- 
ment at  the  invincibility  of  the  English,  whom  they 
believed  to  be  devils,  not  only  because  of  their  bravery, 
but  because  they  carried  magicians  with  them  who 
rendered  it  quite  useless  on  the  part  of  the  Burmans 
to  knock  off  the  heads,  arms,  or  legs  of  the  British 
soldiers,  for  no  sooner  were  they  off,  than  these  same 
magicians  would  instantly  replace  them. 

As  you  must  divine,  these  magicians  were  the  En- 
glish surgeons,  members  of  a  profession  of  which  the 
Burmese  know  so  little  that  their  wounded  and 
maimed  are  left  to  die ;  or,  if  they  recover,  are  com- 
pelled to  become  outcasts  for  life.  Describing  some 
of  the  sickening  scenes  he  had  witnessed  among  the 
Burman  wounded,  Major  Crawford  tells  us — 

"A  strong  prejudice   appears  to    run,  not    only 


209  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

against  all  natural  deformities,  but  against  those 
laboring  under  incurable  diseases,  and  even  against 
such  as  have  been  accidentally  mutilated. 

"  There  is  an  indescribable  mixture  of  caprice,  folly, 
and  inhumanity  in  the  different  modes  in  which  this 
is  shown.  A  man  who  has  lost  the  sisdit  of  both 
eyes  is  forbidden  to  enter  the  palace  enclosure ;  but 
if  he  has  lost  the  sight  of  one  only,  he  may  enter. 
The  dumb  also  are  interdicted  from  this  privilege ; 
and  the  loss  of  an  ear  or  nose  is  a  sufficient  disqualifi- 
cation for  the  same  honor. 

"  The  loss  of  any  limb,  even  in  action,  and  when 
defending  the  rights  of  his  sovereign  or  country,  also 
deprives  a  Burman  of  the  right  of  entering  the  palace, 
and  is  attended  with  the  loss  of  court  favor  and  pre- 
ferment, all  of  which  may  account  for  the  extraordi- 
nary conduct  of  some  of  the  Burmese  prisoners  who 
were  wounded,  and  who  refused  to  suffer  amputation ; 
or  tore  off  the  bandages,  and  bled  to  death  after  it 
had  been  performed. 

"  One  young  man,  who  had  submitted  to  the  opera- 
tion, mistook  the  nature  of  it  altogether,  and,  con- 
ceiving that  to  be  the  mode  in  which  the  English  tor- 
tured their  prisoners  of  war,  had  no  sooner  had  his 
shattered  leg  amputated  than  he  defiantly  presented 
his  sound  leg  for  the  like  operation. 

"These  prejudices  originate  from  their  religious 
belief;  for  they  are  taught  by  their  Buddhist  priests 
that  every  physical  evil  is  a  punishment— not  for 
offences  committed  in  this  life,  but  for  transgressions 
committed  while  their  souls  were  in  some  previous 


SEIZED   BY   TIIE   ENEMY.  203 

body.  They  are  not  considered  as  punishments  for 
the  benefit  of  the  soul  of  the  sufferer,  but  as  inevitable 
inflictions  merited  by  the  individual  on  account  of 
himself  or  ancestors,  and  the  necessary  results  of  the 
present  imperfect  order  of  the  world.  Those  afflicted, 
consequently,  experience  little  compassion  or  sym- 
pathy. There  is,  indeed,  some  merit  in  bestowing 
charity  upon  lepers  and  other  beggars ;  but  it  is 
very  trifling  indeed  in  comparison  with  that  of  giving 
alms  to  the  priests,  or  making  gifts  to  temples." 

But,  as  I  have  previously  told  you,  among  the  Bui'- 
man  officials  "  every  thing  is  fish  that  comes  to  net." 
So  with  these  lepers,  who,  although  they  themselves 
and  even  their  descendants  are  outcasts  from  society, 
ranked  with  the  burners  of  the  dead,  are  permitted 
only  to  marry  with  lepers,  and  denied  the  right  of 
Buddhist  burial  by  burning,  a  denial  which  is  tanta- 
mount to  "Christian  burial"  being  refused  to  an  En- 
glishman— money  can  effect  wonders  in  their  favor 
with  the  government. 

A  wealthy  leper,  by  permitting  himself  to  be 
squeezed  out  of  a  large  sum,  may  remain  in  society. 
A  person  without  influence,  but  of  respectable  posi- 
tion, having  a  mere  scar  upon  his  hand,  is  liable  to  be 
seized,  when,  to  avoid  the  scandal  of  a  public  exam- 
ination, or  the  risk  of  being  driven  from  society,  he 
readily  pays  a  heavy  contribution. 

"We  had  been  some  three  hours  on  our  journey, 
traveling  at  a  rate  of  not  more  than  three  miles  each 
hour  ;  for,  although  the  rain  fell  lightly,  the  paths — 
they  were  not  to  be  called  roads — were  so  heavy  with 


204  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

water  that  the  horses  could  but  with  difficulty  keep 
at  a  good  walking  pace. 

I  had  become  much  wearied  with  my  position,  so 
had  Naon,  for  the  cords  cut  into  our  arms.  I  re- 
solved to  ask  our  captors  to  loosen  them,  but  just 
then  they  changed  the  subject  of  their  conversation. 
They  spoke  of  the  means  by  which  they  had  secured 
us.  I  listened,  and  heard  "  that  Mikee  had  betrayed  us." 

The  two  soldiers,  it  appeared,  had  sought  shelter 
in  the  cave  from  the  rain,  and  discovering  Naon  and 
myself  asleep,  at  once  resolved  to  seize  us  as  we  came 
through  the  aperture,  but  only  for  the  purpose  of 
plunder,  for  they  mistook  us  for  traveling  merchants  ; 
and  Mikee,  entering  the  cave  shortly  afterward, 
thinking  him  to  be  our  servant,  they  fell  upon 
him,  (the  mean-spirited  rogue,  at  least  so  I  then 
thought  him),  to  save  himself,  told  them  that  we 
were  a  couple  of  rebel  foreigners,  whom  he  had  en- 
ticed to  travel  in  his  company,  but  intended  to  deliver 
over  to  the  authorities  at  the  first  great  town  he 
came  to,  and  so  obtain  the  reward  for  the  heads  or 
bodies  of  foreigners,  which  reward  he  would  readily 
forego  if  they  would  let  him  depart  unharmed.  As 
these  men  recapitulated  this  incident,  they  chuckled 
with  delight  at  having  so  easily  got  the  better  of  a 
Carian  peasant.  This  was  a  bitter  discovery  to  me. 
How  was  it  possible  that  so  much  bravery  could  be 
associated  with  so  much  meanness  and  treachery  ?  I 
know  not  why,  but  had  Naon  been  the  guilty  person, 
I  should  have  felt  neither  so  much  hurt,  nor  surprised  ; 
but   Mikee,  the   aspiring,  ambitious   Mikee,  verily  I 


SEIZED   BY    THE   ENEMY.  205 

could  have  staked  my  life  upon  his  honesty.  Alas  !  I 
muttered,  such  is  the  world ;  and  so  pondering,  with 
a  heavy  heart,  heavier  with  chagrin  than  misfortunes, 
rode  onward,  resolving  never  to  put  faith  in  man 
again.  I  dare  say  you  think  I  was  rather  young  for 
a  misanthropist,  but  then,  morbid  feelings  will  shoot 
out  of  bitter  disappointments. 

But  forward,  across  a  dreary  plain,  through  a 
thick  jungle ;  then  we  entered  a  wood,  through  which 
there  appeared  to  be  but  one  pathway,  at  least  for 
horsemen,  and  that  but  sufficiently  wide  for  a  single 
person.  There  were  thickly  foliaged  trees  on  either 
side,  and  one  of  the  soldiers  looked  about  him 
suspiciously,  as  if  he  feared  an  ambush.  Alas ! 
I  thought,  who  in  the  whole  world  is  there  to  attempt 
our  rescue  ? 

"  Lord  of  heaven !  I  shall  be  striped  like  a  tiger," 
cried  Naon,  suddenly,  writhing  under  the  cords. 

At  this,  the  soldiers  turned  round  savagely  ;  they 
did  not,  however,  utter  a  word,  but  goaded  their  own 
horse  till  it  literally  dragged  our  poor  beast  after 
them.  Then  there  was  a  rustling  sound,  but  whether 
among  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  or  in  the  tall  grass 
beneath,  I  could  n«ot  distinguish,  for  almost  simulta- 
neously came  the  sharp  crack  of  a  gun ;  the  soldiers 
fell  to  the  ground,  and  their  horse  started  off  with 
fright  dragging  ours  after  it ;  but  a  horse,  with  two 
persons  upon  its  back,  proving  a  dead  weight  to  the 
frightened  animal,  it  very  speedily  came  to  a  dead 
halt,  and  gave  us  an  opportunity  of  discovering  the 
cause  of  this  strange  accident. 


208  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

The  hunter,  Mikee,  was  standing  over  the  soldiers 
completing  the  scheme  he  had  so  cleverly  contrived  for 
our  rescue.  Being  aAvare  that  we  must  pass  through 
that  path,  Mikee,  upon  quitting  the  cave,  had  hastened 
forward,  and  having  secured  one  end  of  a  long  rope 
to  a  tree,  had  at  the  other  made  a  large  slip-noose,  which, 
while  watching  among  the  foliage  above,  he  held  in 
his  hand  till  the  men  passed  beneath,  when,  with  the 
skilfulness  of  an  elephant-hunter,  he  dropped  it  over 
their  heads,  and  discharged  the  rifle  at  the  same  time ; 
thus  the  frightened  horse  soon  carrying  his  riders  to 
the  end  of  their  tether,  the  noose  tightening,  grasped 
them  both  in  its  embrace ;  and  as  at  the  same  mo- 
ment the  tree  to  which  the  end  of  the  cord  was  se- 
cured, put  forth  its  power  of  resistance,  the  gallant 
Burmans  became,  to  their  great  astonishment,  jerked 
upon  the  earth.  Having  secured  his  prisoners  to  the 
tree,  the  hunter  ran  forward  and  disengaged  Xaon 
and  myself  from  the  horse. 

"  A  friend  in  such  need  is  a  friend  indeed,  my  brave 
Mikee,"  said  I. 

As  for  Naon,  he  appeared  bewildered  with  aston- 
ishment ;  for  a  minute  he  stood  silent,  staring  about, 
shrugging  his  shoulders  and  rubbing  his  arms,  then 
confusedly  he  said  :  "  Then  the  Carianis  not  a  rogue ; 
but — but  my  arms  are  so  benumbed,  I  can't  speak." 

"  Mikee  has  said  that  he  would  serve  the  noble 
colar,  and  he  will  not  eat  his  own  words,"  was  the 
only  reply  the  hunter  made  to  us ;  but  going  close  to 
the  soldiers,  he  said,  "  The  dogs  of  Burmans  are  not 
warriors — they  are  thieves,  who  would  have  robbed 


SEIZED   LT    THE    ENEMY.  207 

a  peaceful  Carian  ;  therefore  shall  they  die."  And  he 
held  his  naked  sword  before  the  cowards,  who 
tremblingly  prayed  for  mercy. 

"  The  brave  hunter  is  just ;  the  rogues  must  die, 
and  become  the  food  of  tigers,"  said  Naon,  savagely. 

"  They  must  not  die,  at  least  by  our  own  hands," 
said  I,  really  fearing  that  the  poor  wretches  would  have 
been  slain  before  my  eyes. 

"  Let  it  be  as  the  noble  colar  wills,"  replied  Mikee, 
quietly  putting  up  his  sword. 

But  the  cowards  now  prayed  more  vehemently 
than  before  ;  .this  time,  however,  it  was  to  be  slain 
at  once,  for  they  feared  a  still  more  terrible  death  by 
the  tiger ;  and,  enemies  as  they  were,  I  pitied,  nay, 
feared  for  their  fate  if  left  thus,  so  I  said, — 

"Give  the  miserable   dogs  their  liberty,  Mikee." 

"It  would  be  destroying  ourselves,  for  they  are  more 
treacherous  than  the  tigers  they  fear." 

"  The  words  of  the  hunter  are  wise,  sahib ;  he 
knows  their  nature,"  said  Naon. 

"  Then  so  let  it  be ;  for,  after  all,  they  merit  their 
fate,"  said  I,  compelled  to  acquiesce. 

Then,  richer  tha'.i  ever — for  we  had  two  horses,  or 
rather  ponies,  for  horses  are  never,  and  ponies  but 
seldom  used  in  Burma,  except  by  the  Cassay  cavalry 
— we  mounted,  Naon  and  myself  bestriding  one, 
and  Mikee  the  other.  And  thus,  when  we  had  left 
the  narrow  path,  and  entered  upon  a  large  swamp 
skirted  again  by  a  wood,  Mikee  told  me  that,  the 
previous  night,  even  he  had  miscalculated  his  powers 
of  endurance,  for  what  with  the  day's  fatigue,  the 


208  the  wrriTE  elephant. 

roaring  of  the  tempest,  and  the  soothing  influence  of 
the  fire ;  he  fell  asleep,  dreaming,  of  course,  that  he 
had  discovered  the  White  Elephant  of  his  imagina- 
tion. 

Suddenly,  however,  he  was  awakened,  by  what, 
he  knew  not.  The  tempest  had  become  hushed,  the 
storm- wind  had  abated,  and  he  heard  the  tramp  of 
some  animal.  What  could  it  be?  not  a  tiger,  the 
steps  were  too  slow  and  heavy ;  surely  it  must  be  an 
elephant.  His  hopes  whispered  the  subject  of  his 
dreams — a  White  Elephant ;  but  no,  that  was  impossi- 
ble. Wild  elephants  are  sociable  animals,  and  invaria- 
bly feed  in  herds,  and  the  sounds  he  heard  were  those 
of  a  single  animal. 

He  clutched  the  rifle,  rose  to  his  feet,  and  stole  softly 
out  of  the  cave ;  listened  again,  and  heard  a  loud 
noise — a  kind  of  compound  of  the  bellow  of  the  bull 
and  grunt  of  the  wild  hog.  Clutching  his  rifle  tight- 
ly, he  walked  foward  in  the  direction  of  the  sounds, 
through  the  grass  ;  suddenly  his  feet  sank  in  a  swamp 
caused  by  the  rain :  still  keeping  foward,  he  at  length 
knew  he  was  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
animal ;  nay,  through  the  darkness  could  just  distin- 
guish the  outlines  of  the  object  of  his  search.  It  was 
a  large  rhinoceros,  luxuriating  in  that  darkness  of 
which  it  is  so  fond,  wallowing  in  the  swamp,  and 
bellowing  with  pleasure  at  the  agreeable  sensations 
caused  by  rubbing  its  thick  hide  against  a  tree  trunk. 

This  trick  is  practiced  by  these  animals  for  their 
absolute  preservation ;  for,  although  the  rhinoceros 
possesses  a  hide  which  renders  it  safe  from  the  claws 


SEIZED    BY    THE   ENEMT.  209 

of  the  lion  and  tiger,  and  a  horn  which  makes  it  ter- 
rible to  all  other  animals,  it  has  a  formidable  enemy 
in  a  species  of  fly  which  for  ever  persecutes  it,  and 
from  whose  attacks  it  can  only  defend  itself  by  rolling 
in  the  mud  until  it  has  become  clothed  with  an  im- 
penetrable armor,  which  is  kept  on  by  the  wrinkles 
and  plaits  of  its  skin,  except  about  its  hips,  shoulders, 
and  legs,  from  which  the  motion  of  the  body  causes 
it  to  fall  off,  when  an  itching  and  pain  follow  that 
cause  the  beast  to  be  as  thankful  at  the  sight  of  a 
tree,  against  which  it  can  rub  itself,  as  tradition  tells 
us  were  the  tenantry  of  the  Duke  of  Argyle  at  the 
sight  of  a  post. 

A  rhinoceros ;  well,  that  was  not  so  good  as  a 
White  Elephant,  still  its  horn  and  hide  would  fetch 
money ;  and  as  the  pleasure  the  animal  derived  from 
the  rubbing  seemed  to  deprive  it  of  its  usual  vigilance, 
it  would  be  an  easy  victory.  At  least .  so  thought 
Mikee,  who,  grasping  the  stock  of  his  rifle,  prepared 
to  fire ;  but  finding  there  was  not  light  sufficient  to 
take  aim — for  to  hit  the  hide  would  be  like  pouring 
water  upon  oil — Mikee,  like  that  brave  French  army 
which,  after  vast  preparations,  marched  up  the  hill, 
and  then — marched  down  again — was  compelled  to 
retrace  his  steps. 

Greatly,  however,  to  his  astonishment,  he  found 
the  cave  occupied  by  the  two  armed  soldiers,  who 
immediately  seized  him,  and  would  have  bound  his 
arms  and  legs,  but  for  the  tale  he  told  them.  Be- 
lieving, however,  his  story,  and  glad  that  he  would 
resign  to  them  so  willingly  his  share  of  the  reward  for 
14 


210  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

our  capture,  they  let  him  depart ;  when,  knowing  the 
only  path  they  could  take,  he  hastened  forward  and  re- 
mained hidden  in  the  tree  till  we  approached,  and  he 
could  rescue  us ;  and  yet  I  had  dared  to  doubt  this 
brave  fellow's  honesty. 


'J 'he  Kliinoceroa  tearing  up  the  tree.        Page  211. 


A   RHINOCEROS   HUNT.  211 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A     RHINOCEROS     HUNT. 

We  had  nearly  traversed  the  swamp,  and  were  within 
five  hundred  yards  of  the  wood,  when,  stopping  his 
horse,  and  with  eyes  flashing  with  excitement,  Mikee 
exclaimed — 

"  The  rhinoceros !     "We  must  take  him." 

Then  for  a  minute  or  so  I  watched  the  great  un- 
wieldy brute,  who,  with  his  great  upper  lip,  which  is 
capable  of  being  lengthened  out  so  as  to  increase  his 
power  of  seizing  any  object,  in  the  manner  the  ele- 
phant does  with  its  trunk,  was  pulling  down  the 
leafy  branch  of  a  tree;  which,  having  quickly  de- 
voured, he  then  placed  his  snout,  or  rather  the  great 
horn  at  its  end,  in  the  root,  till,  finding  sufficient  lev- 
erage, he  lifted  it  from  the  earth,  and,  to  my  surprise, 
speedily  ripped  it  into  narrow  strips,  and  prepared  to 
enjoy  his  repast.  •  «     jfer 

"  Take  him  !"  echoed  Naon ;  adding,  "  the  worthy 
hunter  is  brave,  but  he  cannot  do  impossibilities. 
Why,  the  brute  has  the  power  of  fifty  oxen ;  his  hide 
cannot  be  pierced,  and  he  will  tread  us  all  to  death 
with  one  fall  of  his  foot." 

"  Will  the  noble  colar  hunt  the  brute?"  said  Mikee. 

"Hunt!"  said  I,  laughing.  "Why,  Mikee,  the 
beast  has  no  hunting  legs  ;  he  can't  waddle." 


212  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"The  noble  colar  shall  see,  if  he  will  try,"  was  the 

reply. 

"  But  suppose  we  succeed  ?"  said  I. 

"  His  hide,  his  horn  will  repay  us  for  our  trouble," 
said  Mikee. 

"Agreed  then,"  I  said. 

"  The  noble  colar' s  attendant  is  afraid,  therefore  let 
him  get  off  the  horse,"  said  the  hunter ;  adding,  "  he 
can  take  mine." 

"  But  what  will  you  do,  Mikee  ?" 

"  Ride  behind  the  colar,"  was  the  reply. 

Hearing  which,  and  no  doubt  thinking  the  hunter 
wished  to  ride  behind  me  that  I  might  bear  the  brunt 
of  the  attack,  Naon  expressed  unmistakeable  doubts 
as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  arrangement.  However, 
having  faith  in  the  hunter,  I  complied :  and  when 
Mikee  had  mounted  behind  me,  sword  in  hand,  I  held 
the  loaded  rifle ;  Naon  mounted  Mikee's  horse,  and 
followed. 

Finding  we  were  firm  in  our  seats,  Mikee  goaded 
the  horse,  and  we  set  off  at  a  gentle  trot.  Mikee,  as 
we  neared  the  animal,  gave  a  strange  unearthly 
scream ;  whereupon  the  rhinoceros,  after  his  nature, 
never  turning  his  head,  set  off,  to  my  surprise,  at  a 
full  trot ;  and  thus  the  chase,  if  chase  it  maybe  termed, 
began.     For  some  ten  minutes  we  followed. 

"  See,"  I  said,  holding  my  rifle  in  readiness  for  a 
close  attack,  "  he  is  at  bay ;  he  cannot  pass  those 
trees." 

But  Mikee  noticed  not  my  words;  and  he  was 
right ;  for,  although  the  trees  would  have  formed  a 


A   RHINOCEROS    IIUNT.  213 

formidable  obstacle  to  a  horse,  the  huge  creature 
clashed  by  them  as  if  they  had  been  reeds ;  they  bent 
against  his  hide,  and  returned  to  their  natural  posi- 
tion when  he  had  passed ;  and  thus,  as  he  no  doubt 
calculated,  he  gained  upon  us,  for  we  were  obliged  to 
pick  our  way.  The  stupid  brute,  however,  not  deign- 
ing to  look  backward,  had  no  sooner  passed  the  trees 
than,  believing  himself  to  be  safe,  he  stayed  to  feed. 

"  We  have  him  now,"  cried  Mikee ;  and  goading 
the  horse  forward  at  a  faster  pace,  we  got  within  a 
few  yards  of  him.  That  few  yards,  however,  was 
every  thing  to  the  animal,  for  he  was  near  another 
thicket  of  prickly  brambles,  over  which  hung  the 
huge  arm  of  a  tree.  Onward,  with  a  bellow,  and,  as 
before,  the  arms  of  the  trees  bent  before  his  strength. 
Forward  again  we  went,  goading  our  horse  to  its  full 
speed,  excited  with  the  chase,  for  it  was  a  trial 
of  cunning  against  swiftness — rhinoceros  versus  horse. 
We  neared  the  tree ;  it  was  too  near  to  stop  the 
horse;  my  breast  came  violently  in  contact  with 
the  branch,  and  over  we  rolled,  both  of  us,  into  the 
thicket. 

Fortunately  we  were  but  little  hurt,  so,  remount- 
ing, we  were  off  again,  under  the  branch,  through 
the  thicket,  as  best  we  could,  and  at  last  made  upon 
the  rhinoceros.  "  Ah !"  I  exclaimed,  seeing  another 
thicket  in  the  distance,  to  which  the  cunning  animal 
was  making  way,  "  he  shall  not  dodge  us  this  time ; 
here  goes,"  and  I  discharged  my  rifle.  Mikee  laughed, 
and  well  he  might,  for  the  bullet,  though  it  struck 
the  animal,  rolled  off  its  hide  harmlessly ;  and  with  a 


214  THE    WHITE    ELTTIIANT. 

whisk  of  the  tail,  by  way,  perhaps,  of  a  slight  ac- 
knowledgement of  the  favor,  he  continued  to  trot  as 
before,  through  that  thicket,  and  again  he  had  made 
ground.  In  a  few  minutes,  however,  Ave  were  again 
upon  his  track,  and  gaining  ground  at  every  instant. 
It  was  all  plain  now,  there  were  no  more  thickets. 
"  Now  we  have  him,"  cried  Mikee,  urging  our  beast 
forward. 

"  Stay ;  let  me  load  ;  he  will  turn  at  us,"  said  I. 

"  Not  so ;  they  never  turn  ;  we  must  shoot  ahead," 
said  Mikee,  and  in  two  minutes  we  had  gained  upon 
him  some  dozen  yards.  "  Now  wheel  round,"  said 
Mikee,  taking  the  rein,  and  in  an  instant  we  stood 
before  the  formidable  monster.  It  was  an  exciting 
moment ;  my  last,  I  believed ;  for  seeing  us  in  front, 
he  stood  still,  at  bay,  too  proud  to  turn,  and  evidently 
lashing  himself  into  a  fury. 

"  Let  us  turn,  he  will  never  overtake  us,"  said  I, 
giving  the  rein  a  pull,  and  fearfully  alarmed. 

"  No ;  now  is  our  time ;  give  me  the  rein,"  said 
Mikee,  coolly,  and  in  another  moment  the  enraged 
beast  put  down  his  head,  pointed  his  horn,  and  ran 
at  us  with  the  fury  and  after  the  fashion  of  a  wild 
boar.  The  rein,  however,  was  in  Mikee's  hand,  so, 
turning  the  horse  short  to  one  side,  he  slipped  off  its 
back  behind  the  wild  brute,  and  with  astonishing 
dexterity  ran  his  sword  across  the  tendon  of  one  of 
its  heels,  and  the  beast  fell,  incapable  of  moving,  but 
bellowing  with  rage  at  its  victor,  who,  quietly  taking 
my  rifle  from  my  hand,  discharged  its  contents  into 
its  brain. 


a  imixocERos  nuNT.  215 

"Bravo,  Mikee  ;  you  are  a  wonderful  hunter!"  I 
exclaimed,  rather  to  hide  my  tremor  (for  I  can  assure 
you  I  trembled,  more  at  my  escape — and  I  thought 
it  a  narrow  one — than  I  had  in  positive  danger)  than 
at  any  pleasure  I  felt  at  the  destruction  of  an  animal 
which,  although  so  ungainly  in  shape,  except  attacked, 
is  harmless  to  all  but  the  elephant,  with  whom  he 
seems  to  have  an  hereditary  feud ;  for  it  is  said  they 
never  meet  without  a  duel,  and  seldom  without  the 
elephant  meeting  with  its  death  by  a  thrust  in  the 
chest  from  its  antagonist's  formidable  horn. 

"  Thanks  to  the  lord  of  heaven  for  the  sahib's  es- 
cape," said  Naon,  riding  up  to  us  now  the  danger 
was  over. 

"  Let  us  praise  the  courage  of  the  brave  Mikee," 
said  I. 

"  Truly  he  is  a  mighty  hunter,"  said  Naon. 

Then,  when  Mikee  had  cut  his  mark  upon  the  hide 
with  his  sword,  he  said,  " Now,  if  it  please  the  noble 
colar,  we  will  hasten  to  the  village." 

"  But  what  is  to  be  done  with  this  dead  beast,  O 
brave  and  worthy  Mikee  ?  for  surely  it  will  be  worth 
a  large  amount  of  silver,"  said  Naon. 

"  The  worthy  colar  will  carry  it  before  him  upon 
his  horse,"  said  Mikee,  laughing. 

Naon,  however,  not  liking  to  be  laughed  at,  kept 
a  sullen  silence. 

"  But  will  the  carcass  be  safe  here  from  robbers  ?" 
I  asked. 

"  Mikee  will  hasten  to  the  village,  where  carts  may 
be  obtained,"  was  the  reply.     Rejoiced  to  find  we 


216  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

were  so  near  the  river,  I  mounted,  and  we  proceeded 
on  our  way  in  silence  till  we  came  to  some  large  fields 
planted  with,  what  at  the  time,  from  the  shape,  ap- 
peared to  me  to  be  thistles,  and  about  four  feet  in 
height. 

"The  Lord  of  heaven  be  thanked,  we  are  near  the 
river,  for  this  is  the  indigo  plantation,"  said  Naon. 

Then  it  was  not  thistles,  but  indigo,  that  plant  of 
which  we  hear  so  much,  and  generally  know  so  little. 
Although  in  Burma  the  indigo  plant  thrives  luxu- 
riantly, the  natives  prepare  it  with  small  skill,  simply 
by  steeping  the  weed  in  old  boats  sunk  in  the  river,  and 
which  answers  the  purpose  of  a  vat.  It  is  questionable  if 
they  know  how  to  purify  and  reduce  it  to  a  hard  re- 
fined consistence  ;  or  if  they  do,  they  are  too  indolent, 
and  prefer  to  use  it  in  a  liquid  state. 

In  other  parts  of  Asia,  however,  indigo  is  prepared 
as  follows : — When  the  plant  has  reached  a  given 
height,  and  the  leaves  are  in  good  condition,  they  are 
stripped  from  the  stalks  and  thrown  into  large  pits 
half  filled  with  water  where  they  are  bruised  and 
stirred  till  the  water  becomes  muddy.  After  a  few 
days  the  water  is  drawn  off,  and  the  slimy  sediment 
taken  up  in  baskets  of  the  shape  of  children's  tops,  or 
flat  cakes,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  The  people  employed 
to  sift  the  indigo  stop  their  nostrils,  keep  a  cloth  be- 
fore their  faces,  with  little  holes  for  their  eyes,  and 
drink  milk  every  half  hour  to  preserve  them  from  the 
penetrating  quality  of  the  dust,  which,  notwithstand- 
ing all  their  precaution,  gets  into  their  throats,  and 
causes  the  saliva  to  become  blue. 


A   EIIINOCEKOS    HUNT.  21 


if 


At  length,  after  traversing  these  extensive  fields, 
we  came  to  the  stockade,  or  bamboo  enclosure  of  a 
town,  or  rather  large  village,  the  houses  of  which, 
although  numerous,  were  erected  of  wood,  and  built 
upon  poles,  almost  all  having  great  earthen  jars  filled 
with  water  upon  the  roofs,  in  Readiness  for  fire,  as 
also  a  long  bamboo  pole  fitted  with  an  iron  hook,  for 
the  purpose  of  pulling  down  the  thatch,  as  well  as 
another  pole,  at  the  end  of  which  was  an  iron  grating 
some  three  feet  square,  for  the  purpose  of  suppressing 
any  sudden  conflagration  by  pressure.  The  greater 
part  of  the  houses  were  small,  and  of  unplaned  wood, 
as  befitted  the  rank  in  life  of  their  inhabitants.  One, 
however,  was  much  larger  than  the  rest,  and  from 
the  lacquer  upon  the  poles  and  doors,  was  evidently 
the  residence  of  the  head  man,  as  no  less  a  person 
dared  presume  upon  such  a  luxury. 

The  town  consisted  of  two  well-paved  streets, 
which  crossed  each  other  at  right  angles,  and  were 
drained  by  gutters  along  the  sides.  The  lines  of 
houses  were  at  intervals  interspersed  with  Mourns,  or 
monasteries,  whose  triple  gilded  roofs,  shaded  by  the 
foliage  of  the  trees,  which  arose  from  the  ground  be- 
hind, as  also  those  of  the  many  pagodas  (the  works 
of  religious  merit  of  living  and  dead  Burmans),  with 
their  winding  paths,  gave  an  imposing  appearance  to 
the  scene. 

Passing  through  the  wicket,  near  which  was  an 
ancient  piece  of  cannon,  and  a  few  indolent  soldiers 
lying  upon  the  ground  chewing  betel  and  smoking 
cigars,  to  our  delight,  we  saw  a  shed  in  which  were 


218  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

jars  of  water,  placed  there  by  some  charitable  person 
for  the  benefit  of  pedestrians  of  the  poorer  class,  of 
which  we  gladly  availed  ourselves ;  and  as  we  were 
desirous  of  passing  through  the  streets  unobserved,  it 
was  fortunate  that  when  we  entered  the  town  the 
people  were  engaged  in  attending  the  procession  of  a 
young  novice,  who  was  about  entering  upon  the 
priesthood. 

This  youth — he  was  not  more  than  ten  years  of 
age — was  wrapped  in  a  yellow  robe,  and  mounted 
upon  a  handsomely  caparisoned  horse  led  by  two 
servants.  The  procession  was  led  by  a  band  of  mu- 
sic, then  a  host  of  seniors,  in  the  midst  of  whom  rode 
the  hero  of  the  day,  followed  by  a  vast  number  of  his 
male  and  female  relations  and  friends,  accompanied  by 
their  whole  families,  each  person  carrying  in  his  hand 
a  present  for  the  priests  of  the  monastery  of  which 
the  youth  was  about  to  become  a  member. 

So  far  had  we  passed  through  the  town  without 
calling  the  especial  attention  of  any  of  the  multitude. 
When,  however,  the  procession  took  a  different  di- 
rection from  that  in  which  Mikee  was  leading  us,  I 
became  alarmed,  for  we  came  face  to  face  with  a  re- 
cruiting party,  who  were  conducting  conscripts  down 
to  the  war-boats ;  but  such  a  recruiting  party  that 
you  do  not  see  in  England.  There  were  about  a 
hundred  peasants,  who,  being  destitute  of  the  money 
to  purchase  substitutes,  were  being  either  driven  at 
the  point  of  the  spear,  oi-,  with  their  arms  and  legs 
tied  together,  carried  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  sol- 
diers down  to  the  war-boats  in  the  river. 


A   MIINOCEROS    HUNT.  210 

Fortunately  I  was  too  well  disguised  ,  or  the  sol- 
diers too  much  engaged  to  notice  me,  for  they  passed 
on  their  way,  when  Mikee,  who  had  observed  my 
fears,  said — 

"  The  noble  colar  is  safe  ;  the  good  priest  will  be- 
friend us ;"  and  as  he  spoke  we  stopped  at  the  en- 
trance of  a  kioum,  where  the  hunter  was  warmly 
greeted  by  a  yellow-robed,  shaven-pated,  round-faced 
Poonghi  (priest),  who  led  us  into  the  large  space — it 
could  not  be  called  a  hall,  for  there  were  no  sides — 
wherein  it  is  customary  to  entertain  travelers,  and 
among  several  of  whom  we  took  up  our  station  for 
the  night,  greatly  to  the  chagrin  of  Naon,  who,  look- 
ing around  him  nervously,  said — 

"  It  would  have  been  wiser,  sahib,  had  the  worthy 
hunter  conducted  us  at  once  to  his  boat." 

"  It  is  not  possible  ;  Mikee  must  remain  here  this 
night,  for  to-morrow  he  will  be  put  into  law,"  said 
the  hunter 

"Put  into  law,"  I  repeated,  with  surprise,  for  so 
tedious  and  expensive  is  that  operation  in  Burma, 
that  "  may  he  be  put  into  law  "  is  the  greatest  mis- 
fortune that  a  Burman  can  wish  his  worst  enemy; 
but  for  some  reason  Mikee  made  no  reply.  An  hour 
afterward,  the  iron  tongue  of  the  great  bell  which 
marks  the  passing  hours  in  Burmese  towns,  warned 
us  it  was  time  for  sleep. 

"  By  the  way,  the  Burmese  method  of  dividing  the 
time  is  curious,  and  peculiar  to  themselves.  Their 
year,  like  our  own,  consists  of  twelve  months,  al- 
though their  months,  being  alternately  of  twenty- 


220  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

nine  and  thirty-days,  this  year  consists  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four  days,  and  is  a  lunar  year.  In 
order,  however,  to  preserve  the  solar  time,  the  fourth 
month  of  every  third  year  is  doubled,  which  brings 
the  year  to  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  days.  The 
additional  days  and  hour  are  supplied,  as  occasion 
demands,  by  a  royal  order,  under  the  advice  of  the 
court  Brahmins,  and  by  custom  are  added  to  the  third 
month  of  the  year. 

Their  great  peculiarity,  however,  js  the  non-enum- 
eration of  the  days  of  the  entire  month ;  for  instance, 
instead  of  enumerating  as  we  do,  from  the  first  to 
the  last  day  of  the  month,  they  divide  each  month 
into  two  two  parts,  which  they  designate  as  the  days 
of  the  increasing  and  the  waning  moon.  The  first 
day  of  a  month,  for  example,  they  term  the  first  of 
the  increasing  moon,  and  the  sixteenth  they  term  the 
first  of  the  waning  moon. 

The  week,  like  our  own,  is  divided  into  seven  days ; 
instead,  however,  of  hours,  they  divide  the  day  into 
sixty  parts,  called  Nari.  The  most  popular  division 
of  the  day  is  into  eight  divisions,  or  watches,  four 
being  allotted  to  the  day  and  four  to  the  night,  each 
watch  being  equal  to  three  of  our  hours.  The  time- 
keeper employed  is  a  copper  cup,  perforated  at  the 
bottom,  and  placed  in  a  vase  of  water,  which  sinks  to 
a  particular  mark  at  the  close  of  each  Nari,  when  a 
great  bell,  suspended  from  a  tall  belfry  close  to  the 
house  of  the  chief  magistrate  is  struck. 

In  the  capital  there  is  a  regular  establishment  for 
the  service  of  the  bell,  and  a  custom  that,  if  the  time- 


A   RHINOCEROS   HUNT.  221 

keeper  on  duty  commits  any  error,  his  companions 
are  at  liberty  to  carry  him  off  and  sell  him  at  once  in 
the  public  market  (you  must  remember  that  a  value 
is  set  upon  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  king- 
dom, in  order  that  they  may  be  sold  off,  if  necessary, 
like  their  goods  and  chattels,  to  pay  debts  of  their 
own  or  their  relations').  With  reference,  however, 
to  the  time-keeper,  it  is  merely  a  form ;  the  sale  is 
a  mock  one,  the  price  being  always  fixed  at  a  very 
trifling  amount,  so  that  the  offender  may  ransom  him- 
self without  difficulty. 


222  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MIKEE    HAS   HIS   FORTUNE   TOLD    BY   THE   CROWS,    AND 
UNDERGOES   THE    ORDEAL    OF   WATER. 

Awaking  the  next  morning  and  finding  that  priest, 
travelers,  Mikee,  indeed  all  but  ISTaon,  had  left  the 
hall,  I  stared  with  surprise  ;  and  rubbing  my  eyes  to 
make  quite  sure  that  they  were  open,  said — 

"  The  hunter,  the  priest,  where  are  they  ?  Truly, 
I  must  have  slept  deep  into  the  morning." 

"  It  is  not  so,  sahib ;  it  is  little  more  than  daybreak," 
said  Naon. 

"But  the  hunter?" 

"  Hush,  sahib ;  not  the  hunter,  but  Mikee  the  oil- 
carrier  here." 

"Well,  then,  the  oil-carrier,"  I  replied,  impa- 
tiently. 

"  Mikee  has  gone  to  ask  what  will  be  the  result  of 
his  lawsuit  to-day." 

"Ask  whom  ?  who  can  tell  but  the  judge  ?" 

"  The  crows,"  said  Naon,  stolidly. 

"  Ask  the  crows  ?"  I  repeated,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Truly,  it  is  so.  Let  the  sahib  follow,  and  he  will 
see." 

"  Ask  the  crows  ?     Are  the  crows  then  learned  in 

the  law  ?'      And  I  laughed  heartily  at  the  idea. 

"  It  is  the  custom,"  was  the  serious  reply. 


MIKEE   HAS    HIS   FOKTUNE   TOLD.  223 

Of  course  I  bowed  to  custom,  and  then  thought 
that,  since  Rome  had  her  first  boundaries  determined 
by  the  flight  of  one  bird,  and  at  another  time  was 
saved  by  the  cackling  of  geese,  there  might  be  nothing 
vei-y  wonderful,  after  all,  in  a  lawsuit  being  decided  by 
the  sapient-looking  crow,  who  may  probably  possess 
more  nous  than  we  are  aware  of.  That  the  crow, 
however,  is  a  shrewd  observer,  and  smart  in  his  trans- 
actions, any  person  ambitious  of  shooting  one  may 
very  easily  discover  by  the  tax  that  will  be  laid  upon 
his  patience.  However,  following  Naon  to  the  back 
of  the  kioum,  I  mentally  collected  matter  enough  for 
a  new  page  in  natural  history. 

Mikee  was  seated  upon  a  square  of  grass,  patiently 
endeavoring  to  stand  upright  upon  their  delicate 
savory  legs,  three  animals  made  of  cooked  rice — a 
lion,  an  ox,  and  an  elephant.  It  was  no  easy  matter, 
for  as  fast  as  he  stood  up  one,  another  fell  down ; 
then  when  he  had  re-adjusted  them,  the  rice  trunk 
of  the  elephant,  the  rice  head  of  the  lion,  or  the  rice 
tail  of  the  ox  would  tumble  off.  At  length,  however, 
he  succeeded,  and  the  three  animals  stood  forth  upon 
the  grass  boldly,  when  the  spectators — priests  and 
travelers — clapped  their  hands  with  delight. 

Then  all  present  withdrawing  a  good  distance 
from  the  artificial  animals,  and  throwing  themselves 
upon  the  ground,  patiently  watched  the  movements 
of  a  pair  of  old  crows  who  were  seated  upon  the 
branches  of  a  tree.  It  was  a  tedious  affair,  for  it  was 
nearly  two  hours  before  the  learned  feathered  couple 
would  take  the  least  notice  of  the  animals.    At  the 


22-4  the  white  Elephant. 

end  of  that  period,  after  much  flying  about,  and  a 
great  deal  of  caw-cawing,  as  if  to  satisfy  themselves 
the  men  creatures  had  no  intention  of  moving,  they 
flew  down  to  the  rice  animals. 

Then  came  the  excitement  of  the  spectators,  for 
the  crows  evidently  had  some  diihculty  in  arriving  at 
a  decision.  First  they  appeared  as  if  about  to 
attack  the  lion ;  at  which  Mikee's  face  beamed  with 
pleasure,  for  that  would  be  a  sure  sign  of  victory ;  but 
no,  they  passed  to  the  ox,  and  for  a  minute  seemed 
inclined  to  try  rice  beef.  This  was  not  quite  so 
agreeable  to  Mikee,  for  that  was  a  sign  that  matters 
would  be  made  up  by  accommodation.  When,  how- 
ever, they  neglected  the  ox,  and  were  about  to  peck 
at  the  elephant,  the  hunter's  face  became  clouded  in- 
deed, for  that  was  a  sign  that  his  antagonist  would 
gain  the  day.  The  birds,  however,  having  again  laid 
their  heads  or  beaks  together  in  consultation,  suddenly 
attacked  the  lion,  one  flying  away  with  his  head,  the 
other  with  his  body ;  at  which  Mikee  gave  a  shout  of 
joy,  and  the  spectators  arose  to  their  feet  and  con- 
gratulated him  upon  his  approaching  victory — a  pro- 
ceeding I  thought  very  much  like  "  counting  your 
chickens  before  they  are  hatched." 

Having  thus  tested  his  coming  fortunes,  Mikee, 
accompanied  by  the  priests  and  travelers,  proceeded 
before  the  judge  who  was  to  try  the  cause — which, 
by  the  way,  was  merely  a  dispute  with  a  merchant 
of  the  town  about  the  payment  for  the  carriage  of 
some  oil  from  the  wells.  The  merchant  was  a  rogue, 
and   declared  that  he  had  paid  Mikee  the   sum  in 


MIKEE   HAS    HIS    FORTUNE   TOLD.  225 

question  ;  while  Mikee  declared  upon  oath  that  he  had 
not  received  one  tidal.  I  much  regretted  not  going 
with  them  before  the  judge ;  yet,  as  I  did  not  care 
about  placing  my  head  in  the  jaws  of  the  lion,  I 
preferred  to  remain  in  the  hall  and  await  their  return. 

As  we  re-entered,  Naon  went  up  to  a  large  lac- 
quered chest  filled  with  books,  and  taking  one  nearest 
to  hand,  he  said, — 

"This  is  Deitton,  sahib." 

"  Deitton,"  I  repeated  looking,  at  the  book,  which 
was  composed  of  thin  stripes  of  bamboo  delicately 
plaited,  and  varnished  over  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
form  a  hard  surface  for  a  covering  of  leaf  gold,  upon 
which  the  letters  were  traced  in  black  glittering 
japan,  and  the  leaves  ornamented  and  illuminated 
with  wreaths  and  figures  of  gold  upon  a  parti-colored 
ground  of  red,  green,  and  black.  It  was,  in  fact,  a 
kind  of  dictionary  or  hand-book  of  superstitious  omens 
of  good  or  evil  fortune,  to  be  drawn  from  objects 
too  numerous  to  mention,  but  of  which  I  will  give 
you  some  slight  notion. 

"  No  person  should  commence  building  a  house, 
or  any  business  of  importance,  without  first  discover- 
ing a  fortunate  day. 

"  In  building,  the  beams  should  be  examined,  for 
those  which  are  equally  large  at  the  top  and  the 
bottom  are  males ;  those  which  are  thicker  at  the 
bottom  than  the  top  are  females ;  while  those  that 
are  thickest  in  the  middle  are  neuters ;  and  those 
whose  greatest  thickness  is  at  the  top  are  called 
giants  ;  and  when  a  piece  of  wood,  on  being  cut,  falls 
15 


228  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

to  the  ground  and  rebounds  from  its  place,  it  is  mon- 
key-wood. 

"  If  a  person  live  in  a  house  made  of  male  wood, 
he  will  be  always  and  everywhere  happy.  If  the 
wood  be  neuter,  misery  will  be  his  lot ;  but  if  the 
wood  be  giant,  he  will  speedily  die. 

"If  a  person  would  learn  his  fortune,  he  must  di- 
vide the  two  pieces  of  wood  which  form  the  stairs 
into  ten  compartments ;  and  if  a  knot  be  found  in  the 
first,  it  is  a  sign  the  master  will  be  honored  by  prin- 
ces. If  the  knot  be  found  in  the  second,  he  will 
abound  in  rice  and  all  kinds  of  provisions.  A  knot 
in  the  fourth  compartment  is  a  sign  that  a  son,  a 
slave,  a  nephew,  or  an  ox  of  the  master  will  die.  A 
knot  in  the  sixth  is  a  sign  of  riches  in  oxen  and  buffa- 
loes ;  but  one  in  the  eighth  portends  the  death  of  his 
wife.  Finally,  a  knot  in  the  tenth  is  an  augury  of 
great  possessions  of  gold  and  silver." 

Knots  in  the  wood  of  which  boats  are  made,  are 
the  cause  of  similar  superstition ;  and  even  involunta- 
ry movements  of  the  eyes,  the  head,  or  the  forehead 
are  believed  to  indicate  some  pending  good  or  bad 
fortune.     Again, 

"  If  a  dog  carry  an  unclean  thing  to  the  top  of  a 
house,  its  master  will  become  rich. 

"  If  a  lien  lay  her  egg  upon  cotton,  its  master  will 
become  poor. 

"If  a  person  going  to  conclude  a  lawsuit  meet  an- 
other carrying  brooms  or  spades,  the  suit  will  be 
long  and  in  the  end  he  will  be  deceived. 

"  If  the  wind  should  carry  away  any  of  the  leaves 


MIKEE   HAS    HIS   FORTUNE   TOLD.  £27 

of  the  betel  when,  according  to  custom,  it  is  being 
carried  to  the  house  of  a  newly-married  woman,  it  is 
a  sign  that  the  marriage  will  be  unhappy. 

"  If  in  going  to  war  a  person  meet  a  fish,  there 
will  be  no  war ;  if  he  sees  another  catching  a  gnat, 
the  mandarins  will  exact  many  presents,  the  client 
will  be  deceived,  and  the  lawsuit  a  long  one ;  if  he 
meet  any  one  carrying  packages,  then  every  thing 
will  succeed  to  his  wishes ;  if  he  meet  a  serpent,  the 
affair  will  be  long  ;  if  a  dog,  or  a  female  elephant,  or 
a  person  playing  on  the  cymbals,  all  will  go  well." 

Then  they  believe  in  chiromancy,  or  the  art  of  di- 
vining by  the  lines  of  the  hand,  in  amulets  and  love 
philtres ;  and,  although,  perhaps,  their  belief  is  not 
stranger  than  was  that  of  the  English  in  similar  su- 
perstitions not  many  centuries  since,  I  quite  agree 
with  the  Italian  priest  Father  Sangermano,  who,  after 
giving  a  list  of  these  supei*stitions,  says — "But  we 
should  never  finish,  were  we  to  extract  all  the  follies 
of  this  book ;  for  they  are  so  numerous,  and  at  the 
same  time  so  inconsistent  with  common  comfort,  that, 
as  one  of  our  oldest  missionaries  has  observed,  if  a 
man  were  to  be  entirely  guided  by  it,  he  would  not 
have  a  house  to  live  in,  nor  a  road  to  walk  on,  nor 
clothes  to  cover  him,  nor  even  rice  for  his  food ;  and 
yet  the  blind  and  ignorant  Burmese  place  the  greatest 
faith  in  it,  and  endeavor  to  regulate  their  actions  ac- 
cording to  its  directions." 

"Does  the  sahib  like  the  Deitton  ?"  said  Naon,  re- 
placing the  book  in  the  lacquered  box. 

"  Utter    nonsense  !"    said    I ;    adding,    however, 


228  THE   -WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

thoughtfully,  "  Yet  the  Burraans  are  no  worse  in  this 
than  were  the  Europeans.  This  nonsense  is  at  pre- 
sent their  faith.  If  they  ever  become  Europeanized, 
it  will,  as  similar  things  have  among  Europeans,  be- 
come their  tradition — materials  for  poetry.  The 
wildest  traditions  were  once  believed." 

"  Does  the  sahib  know  how  the  priests  explain 
eclipses  of  the  sun  and  moon  ?"  said  Naon ;  adding, 
when  I  replied  in  the  negative,  "They  say  that  a 
monstrous  and  foul  planet,  or  Nat,  named  Rahu,  be- 
coming inflamed  with  envy  at  the  brightness  of  the 
sun,  or  moon,  descends  into  their  path,  and  takes 
them  into  his  mouth  to  devour  them ;  but  is  soon 
obliged  to  spit  them  out  again,  for  fear  they  would 
burst  his  head.  At  other  times,  he  covers  them  with 
his  chin,  or  licks  them  with  his  immense  tongue." 

"The  Chinese  have  a  similar  tradition,"  said  I;  but 
before  Naon  could  reply,  the  priests  and  travelers 
returned  with  Mikee,  who  was  as  damp  as  a  half- 
drowned  kitten  ;  his  scanty  clothes  being  saturated, 
and  the  water  dripping  from  his  hair  down  his 
sides  and  over  his  face." 

"  How  is  this  ?"  said  I,  with  surprise. 

"  Victory,  noble  colar ;  the  praw  of  justice  could 
not  decide  without  the  ordeal,  and  by  that  means  I 
have  prospered,"  said  Mikee. 

"The  crows,  then,  were  right,"  I  said,  laughing; 
and  when  he  had  changed  his  garments,  and  we  were 
partaking  of  a  kind  of  congratulatory  tiffin,  or  breakfast 
he  told  me  that  when  the  judge  heard  both  litigants 
take  the  terrible  oath  as  to  the  truth  of  their  declara- 


MIKEE    1IAS   HIS    FOETUNE   TOLD.  220 

tions,  one  that  the  money  had  been  paid,  and  the 
other  that  it  had  not,  his  wisdom  was  insufficient  to 
enable  him  to  decide ;  and,  moreover,  as  the  bribes 
for  a  favorable  decision  had  been  equally  liberal  on 
both  sides,  he  was  compelled  to  have  the  case  settled 
by  means  of  the  ordeal  of  water. 

Accordingly,  both  litigants  were  taken  to  the  town- 
tank,  near  the  river,  and  the  priests  having  performed 
the  usual  purificatory  ceremonies,  and  prayed  the 
proper  length  of  time,  they  both  entered,  and  waded 
in  the  water  till  it  reached  their  breasts ;  two  men, 
one  by  the  side  of  each  litigant,  placed  a  long  board 
upon  their  heads,  which,  at  a  signal  from  the  judge, 
they  pressed  downward,  thus  immersing  them  be- 
neath the  water,  where  they  remained  out  of  sight 
for  nearly  three  minutes,  when  the  merchant,  nearly 
suffocated,  raised  his  head.  As  for  Mikee,  as  bold 
beneath  the  water  as  upon  land,  he  held  his  breath 
for  nearly  half  a  minute  longer ;  until,  indeed,  he  was 
lifted  up  by  the  officer,  Avho,  among  the  plaudits  of 
the  friends  of  the  successful  party,  proclaimed  the 
decision  of  the  court  to  be  in  favor  of  Mikee,  who,  as 
he  concluded,  said,  modestly — 

"  But,  O  noble  colar  !  the  crows  foretold  the  truth, 
and  the  invisible  Spirit  of  Justice  aided  thy  servant, 
whose  own  merit  in  the  matter  was  but  as  a  shadow." 

"  Truly,  the  hunter  is  as  fortunate  as  he  is  brave," 
said  ISTaon. 

"  And  as  modest  as  he  is  fortunate,"  said  I ;  when 
Mikee,  as  if  to  verify  my  words  by  avoiding  more 
praise,  said — ■ 


230  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  Mikee  will  now  prepare  the  boat,  and  return  at 
yettee  (noon),  when  the  noble  colar  and  his  attendant 
must  be  prepared  to  accompany  the  oil-carrier  as  his 
servants ;"  and  so  saying  he  left  the  kiouni. 


A   DULL.  231 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

A   DUEL  BETWEEN   A   CROCODILE  AND   A  TTGEE. 

Punctually  to  the  time  he  had  named,  Mikee  re- 
turned in  the  best  of  spirits ;  for  he  had  sold  the  car- 
cass of  the  dead  rhinoceros  to  a  merchant,  and  then, 
that  it  might  be  supposed  we  were  his  servants,  we 
helped  to  carry  the  oil-jars  down  to  the  boat,  which 
we  found  ready  to  receive  us,  in  charge  of  a  relation 
of  the  Carian,  named  Seree  ;  and  at  last  I  began  to 
entertain  seme  hope  of  reaching  the  capital,  or  at 
least  Yenang-young,  in  safety,  for  it  was  improbable 
that  either  soldiers  or  nobles  would  molest  the  boat 
of  an  oil-earner,  whose  merchandize  produced  so 
good  a  revenue  to  the  government. 

Thus,  each  taking  an  oar,  we  sent  the  boat  merrily 
along  the  waters  of  the  Irrawaddy,  through  an  aquatic 
population,  second  only  to  that  to  be  found  upon  the 
rivers  of  the  neighboring  empire  of  China,  past  boats 
steered  by  men,  but  whose  crews  consisted  of  female 
farmers,  who  sat  with  their  legs  across,  paddling  the 
craft  along  with  their  short  oars;  and  while  they 
kept  time  with  the  strokes,  loudly  singing  a  jovial 
chorus,  the  more  jovial  that  they  had  found  a  good 
market  for  their  onions,  pulse,  or  greens.  Past  small 
forests  of  teak-trees,  floating  downward  to  Rangoon, 
war-boats,  with  their  fifty  or  sixty  rowers,  each  on 


232  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

its  way  to  join  the  native  fleet,  as  a  contribution  to 
the  state  of  some  village  or  town.  Past  rice  and 
baggage  boats,  and  government  craft  laden  with  con- 
scripts, who  had  been  torn  away  from  their  wives 
and  families,  and  were  being  forcibly  carried  to  the 
seat  of  war.  Past  great  boats,  whose  number  of 
rowers  and  canopy  showed  them  to  be  owned  by 
great  officials,  and  others  whose  elaborate  and  costly- 
gilded  sides,  oars,  and  sails  proved  the  owner  to  be 
of  royal  rank. 

The  waters  were  at  their  highest  level,  and  filled 
the  winding  inlets  far  into  the  land,  making  smaller 
rivers.  The  shores  ascended  as  we  proceeded,  and 
were  lined  with  magnificent  trees,  frequently  into 
groves.  Thus  till  night  we  traveled.  Past  ancient 
caves,  formed  many  centuries  since  in  the  rocky  sand- 
stone cliffs,  and  which,  from  the  entrances  being  par- 
tially bricked  up,  so  as  to  reduce  the  passages  to 
small  doorways,  we  could  see  were  used  as  human 
habitations.  Then  along  a  finely-Wooded  shore,  set 
with  palms  and  studded  with  pagodas,  and  skirted 
by  small  villages. 

Past  islands  covered  with  water,  and  from  which 
emerged  the  pigeon-house-looking  habitation  of  peas- 
ants. Past  meadows  converted  for  a  time  into 
swamps;  and  again,  entire  villages  so  inundated  that 
the  peasants  had  hung  their  carts  to  the  trees  to  pre- 
vent their  being  carried  away  by  the  currents. 

Away  again ;  we  work  hard  at  our  poles  and  be- 
fore sundown  get  beyond  the  flood  level.  The  shores 
are  drier,  and  we  laud  at  a  village  celebrated  for  its 


A    DUEL.  233 

manufacture  of  saltpetre,  where,  at  the  hut  of  a  friend 
of  Mikee,  we  took  up  our  lodging  for  the  night,  and 
where,  during  the  following  day,  for  the  rains  fell  so 
heavily,  we  were  obliged  to  lay  u])  "  under  the 
weather ;"  a  delay  that  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of 
observing  the  means  by  which  the  Burmans  manu- 
facture saltpetre. 

The  raw  material  is  an  efflorescence  of  the  soil,  in 
which  it  is  found  to  a  depth  of  about  six  inches.  The 
loose  earth,  when  first  scraped  together,  is  thrown 
into  baskets  lined  with  clay,  and  fixed  upon  wooden 
frames ;  after  which,  the  earth  is  covered  with  a  layer 
of  rice-husks;  upon  which  water  is  poured,  and 
allowed  to  trickle  through.  The  water  takes  up  the 
salt,  and  carries  it  in  solution  into  an  earthen  pot 
below.  The  same  water  is  a  second  time  filtered 
through  the  earth,  and  is  then  removed  to  be  boiled 
clown. 

The  boiling  takes  place  in  broad  shallow  cast-iron 
pans  of  Chinese  manufacture,  raised  sufficiently  from 
the  ground  to  permit  a  small  fire  to  be  kindled  be- 
neath. In  these  the  brine  is  evaporated,  and  the 
salt,  crystalizing  on  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  is  removed 
by  a  stick.  One  boiling  is  completed  in  twenty-four 
hours.  Each  iron  pan  receives  about  three  of  the 
earthern  pots  full  of  brine,  and  yields  three  viss 
(three  pounds  weight)  of  the  impure  saltpetre,  which 
is  again  dissolved  in  pure  water ;  and  by  a  second 
boiling  of  the  same  duration,  is  reduced  to  half  the 
amount  of  pure  white  saltpetre,  the  salt  first  obtained 
being  very  impure,  red,  and  earthy. 


231-  THE    WHITE    ELliriTANT. 

By  these  primitive  means — indeed,  all  the  arts  in 
Burma  are  in  the  most  primitive  state — is  the  vast 
quantity  of  saltpetre  obtained,  which  is  chiefly  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  those  fireworks  for  which  these 
people  are  even  more  celebrated  than  the  Chinese. 

In  the  morning,  finding  the  rain  had  subsided,  we 
continued  our  voyage ;  and  as  Mikee  told  us,  that  for 
the  next  two  days  we  should  travel  along  a  rugged 
and  uninhabited  shore,  we  took  care  to  provide  our- 
selves with  a  plentiful  supply  of  boiled  rice,  pickled 
tea,  and  buffalo  beef,  besides  hooks  and  lines,  for  the 
purpose  of  catching  fish,  and  a  couple  of  old-fashioned 
English  muskets ;  all  of  which  the  hunter  paid  for 
liberally  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  carcass 
of  the  rhinoceros. 

That  day  we  rowed  so  hard,  that  before  sundown  we 
reached  the  shore  of  a  ruined  town  celebrated  as  the 
scene  of  one  of  those  cruel  tragedies  so  common  in 
Asiatic  countries,  and  which  in  themselves  should  long 
since  have  destroyed  the  tawdry  sentiment  made  upon 
young  minds  by  the  tinseled  pictures  in  the  "  Ara- 
bian Nights"  and  other  celebrated  Oriental  story- 
books, wherein  cruelty,  wanton  luxury,  and  effemina- 
cy are  so  falsely  colored  that,  in  place  of  disgust,  a 
weed  of  pleasure — tall,  rank,  and  enervating — is 
planted,  and  left  to  grow  among  the  more  vigorous, 
real,  and  healthy  ingredients  of  the  European  mind. 
I  will,  however,  tell  you  the  story. 

The  King  Chenguza  married  a  relative — a  beautiful, 
virtuous,  and  accomplished  woman — of  whom  he  was 
very  fond  ;  but  then  the  loves  and  hates  of  despots 


A   DUEL.  235 

are  as  changeable  as  the  wind.  So,  in  a  fit  of  intem- 
perance, becoming  jealous  of  his  queen,  Chenguza 
pronounced  sentence  of  death ;  and  as  there  are 
wretches  in  every  nation  ready  to  execute  the  com- 
mand of  a  tyrant,  however  sanguinary,  the  innocent 
lady  was  dragged  from  the  palace  and  enclosed  in  a 
sack  of  scarlet  cloth  richly  ornamented.  Thus  con- 
fined, she  was  put  on  board  a  boat,  when  the  sack 
being  suspended  between  the  narrow  necks  of  two 
earthen  jars,  the  whole  was  sunk  in  the  deepest 
part  of  the  Irrawaddy  river.  This  diabolical  act  was 
performed  in  open  day  before  thousands  of  spectators, 
amongst  whom,  were  many  of  the  friends  and  rela- 
tives of  the  murdered  queen,  whose  father  retired 
from  court  to  hide  his  anguish  in  secrecy. 

Bad  deeds,  however  great  or  small,  bring  their  own 
punishment :  so  with  this  king,  for,  disgusted  with 
this  cruel  act,  the  nobles  fled,  the  army  rebelled,  and 
another  sovereign  was  placed  upon  the  throne.  King 
Chenguza,  howevei*,  bad  as  he  was,  was  no  coward, 
(although  that  was  little  in  his  favor,  for  a  very  brave 
man  may  also  be  a  very  bad  man).  So,  some  time  after 
his  defeat,  preferring  death  to  a  disgraceful  exile,  he 
caused  a  small  boat  to  be  privately  prepared,  and 
kept  in  readiness  at  the  gaut,  or  landing-place.  Dis- 
guising himself  in  the  habit  of  a  private  gentleman, 
and  attended  only  by  two  menials,  he  left  his  hiding- 
place  by  break  of  day,  and  rowed  toward  the  river- 
gate  of  the  king's  palace;  and  being  challenged  by  a 
sentinel,  he  answered  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Chenguza, 
the  lawful  lord  of  the  palace,  and  thy  king,"  when 


236  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

the  astonished  guards,  overawed,  fell  back,  permitting 
the  frantic  tyrant  to  rush  toward  the  interior.  At 
the  gates,  however,  of  the  inner  palace,  he  was  met 
by  the  father  of  the  murdered  queen,  who,  seeing  the 
tyrant,  slew  him  on  the  spot ;  thus  at  the  same  mo- 
ment avenging  his  daughter  and  ridding  the  world 
of  a  monster. 

To  continue,  however,  my  narrative. 

When  we  reached  this  melancholy  spot — the  site 
of  a  town  once  the  abiding-place  of  the  ancient  kings 
of  Pegu,  but  then  consisting  alone  of  monumental 
ruins  for  the  greater  part  lost  in  a  dense  forest  and 
jungle,  and  reverberating  with  the  terrific  roars  and 
growls  of  wild  animals — I  must  confess  that  my 
heart  beat  quick  with  apprehension,  for  shortly  it- 
would  become  pitch  dark. 

"Let  us  land  and  seek  a  retreat  within  yon  ruin," 
said  I,  pointing  to  the  remains  of  a  temple. 

"  It  would  not  be  Aviso ;  it  is  too  late ;  before  we 
could  secure  the  boat,  the  tigers  would  be  upon  us," 
said  Mikee. 

"  To  remain  afloat  during  the  night  will  be  worse, 
for  how  can  we  secure  ourselves  against  the  croco- 
dile?" said  I. 

"  We  must  not  go  ashore,"  replied  Mikee,  firmly ; 
adding,  "but  secure  the  boat  to  a  tree,  and  keep 
watch  by  turns." 

No  sooner  said  tha  1  done.  Mikee  pulled  the  boat 
near  enough  in  shore  to  throw  a  running  noose  over 
the  branch  of  a  tree;  after  which,  we  pulled  out 
again  into  deep  water. 


A   DUEL.  237 

"I  will  keep  first  watch,"  said  Naon. 

This  being  agreed,  Seree  laid  down  beneath  the 
raised  portion  of  the  prow ;  and  Mikee  and  myself, 
with  our  firearms  by  our  side,  stretched  ourselves  at 
full  length  in  the  centre  of  the  boat.  Mikee  and 
Seree  were  soon  asleep.  For  my  own  part,  tired  as 
I  was,  I  could  not  close  my  eyes — a  difficulty  that 
became  greater  when,  out  of  the  utter  darkness,  the 
grand  orb  of  night  arose  in  full  glittering  brilliancy, 
burnishing  the  surface  of  the  waters  so  that  they 
reflected  the  great  tall  trees  and  rugged  cliffs  and 
jagged  shores. 

Then,  as  I  lay  upon  my  back,  I  discovered  the 
cause  of  Naon's  offer  to  keep  the  first  watch — he  was, 
in  fact,  too  frightened  to  sleep  ;  and  with  listening 
ears,  his  finger  upon  the  trigger  of  his  musket,  he 
gazed  in  every  direction.  He  had  been  sitting  for 
some  time  in  the  stern,  when,  as  if  suddenly  remem- 
bering that  men  had  been  dashed  from  that  position 
by  the  tails  of  crocodiles,  he  clambered  upon  the  bam- 
boo canopy  beneath  which  Seree  lay  sleeping — an 
action  which  caused  me  to  feel  very  uneasy ;  for  so 
superstitious  are  the  Burmans  in  the  belief  that  if  any 
person  wralks  over  them,  some  terrible  evil  will  soon 
happen,  and  that  they  will  be  unfortunate  for  the  rest 
of  their  days,  that  no  house  is  erected  higher  than 
one  story.  Therefore,  a  person  can  offer  no  greater 
insult  to  a  recumbent  man  than  to  walk  over  his  body, 
or  sit  above  him.  However,  as  it  was  not  my  affair, 
I  closed  my  eyes  and  endeavored  to  sleep. 

I  had  partially  succeeded,  when  the  boat  rocked 


238  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

nearly  to  capsizing.  Seree  had  awakened,  and  finding 
Naon  above  him,  was  not  only  belaboring  him  with 
abuse,  but  would  have  attacked  him  with  his  fists, 
but  for  Mikee  (who,  like  myself,  for  the  safety  of  us 
all,  remained  in  the  middle  of  the  boat  to  prevent  its 
upsetting)  exclaiming — 

"Is  Seree  so  foolish  that  he  would  upset  the 
boat,  and  so  become  a  mouthful  for  the  croco- 
dile?" 

"The  crocodile!"  said  Seree,  almost  paralysed  at 
the  word. 

"  The  crocodile.  See — beware,"  said  Mikee,  point- 
ing to  a  great  log  floating  in  the  shallow  water  near 
the  shore. 

"  Hush !  be  silent,  and  watch,"  said  Mikee ;  and 
with  suspended  breath  we  gazed  at  the  monster. 

For  five  minutes  it  remained  motionless;  then  it 
moved  further  in  shore,  among  the  tall  grass. 

"  It  scents  some  beast,"  said  I. 

And  I  was  right,  for  then  came  a  grunt,  a 
growl,  and  the  heavy  footsteps  of  some  large 
brute. 

"  Elephant  coming  to  drink,"  said  Xaon. 

"  It  is  not  so.     You  will  see,"  said  Mikee. 

And  as  he  spoke,  a  rhinoceros  and  a  tiger  came  to 
the  edge  of  the  river.  These  animals  are  frequently 
found  together,  the  former  being  the  only  tenant  of 
the  forest  who  will  associate  with  that  dread  of  the 
animal  kingdom — the  tis^er. 

Then,  as  we  rested  upon  the  bosom  of  the  river, 
with  but  a  single  thjp  plank  between  us  and  the  jaws 


A   DUEL.  23 D 

of  a  crocodile,  and  near  a  shore  so  formidably  guarded, 
I  must  admit  that  something  very  like  a  great  terror 
came  over  me.  The  great  flashing  eyeballs  of  the 
beautiful  savage  seemed  to  be  glaring  at  me  in  par- 
ticular; and  I  feared  it  "would  plunge  into  the  river 
and  attack  the  boat ;  no  uncommon  feat  with  tigers, 
for  at  Singapore  they  swim  from  the  mainland  to  the 
island,  help  themselves  to  a  man — they  prefer  natives 
— and  back  again  in  an  incredibly  short  time. 

"  There  is  no  fear  from  the  tiger,"  said  Mikee,  as 
if  he  had  divined  my  thoughts ;  but  as  the  animal 
came  still  further  into  the  "water,  I  cried — 

"  To  the  oars ;  let  us  pull  off." 

This,  however,  "was  not  necessary,  for  the  next 
moment  the  tiger  gave  a  fierce  growl,  so  long,  so 
loud  that  the  sound  rang  in  my  ears  for  hours 
after. 

"  The  crocodile  is  at  him ;  let  them  fight  it  out," 
said  Mikee. 

And  it  was  our  best  course,  for  the  reptile  had 
seized  one  of  the  hind  legs  of  the  tiger,  -who,  after  its 
first  growl  of  surprise  and  agony,  turned  round  and 
dashed  its  fore  claws  into  the  eves  of  its  screaming 
enemy.  The  struggle  lasted  some  minutes,  but  was 
ultimately  finished  by  the  crocodile,  which,  by  being 
in  its  own  element,  had  the  full  use  of  its  immense 
strength,  and  so  kept  its  victim's  head  beneath  the 
water  till  it  was  suffocated,  when  it  dragged  the  car- 
cass to  the  bed  of  the  river. 

"The  Lord  of  heaven  be  praised  that  the  ravenous 
reptile  hungered  for  the  tiger,"  said  Naon. 


240  THE   WHITE    ELFPIIAXT. 

"  The  colar  speeks  reverent  words.  Great,  indeed, 
should  be  our  praise,  and  thanks  to  Heaven,  that  the 
beasts  of  the  forest  have  been  sent  to  ward  from  us 
an  attack  which,  in  this  boat,  we  could  not  have 
resisted,"  replied  Mikee. 

This  incident  redoubled  our  watchfulness ;  indeed, 
I  believe  that  I  alone  slept  the  remainder  of  that 
night,  while  Mikee,  Seree,  and  Naon  kept  watch. 


A    WONDERFUL   CAVE.  241 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A    WONDERFUL   CAVE,    AND   A   BRAHMEN"   ASTROLOGER. 

At  daybreak  we  resumed  our  oars,  and  pulled  long 
and  lustily  with  the  hope  of  reaching  a  town  or  vil- 
lage before  nightfall ;  and  we  were  rewarded  for  our 
labor,  for  long  before  that  time  Ave  sighted  the  tee, 
or  umbrella  tops  of  pagodas,  which  made  me  exclaim 
joyfully— 

"This  night,  at  least,  we  shall  sleep  in  a  human 
habitation." 

"  In  a  human  habitation,  yes ;  in  a  town,  no,"  said 
Mikee  thoughtfully. 

"What  mean  vou,  Mikee?"  I  asked. 

"  The  noble  colar  may  believe  his  servant  ungrate- 
ful, but  Mikee  must  seek,  to  know  his  fortune  before 
the  soles  of  his  feet  touch  the  soil  of  yonder  town." 

"  But  how  ?  from  whom  ?  in  this  desolate  coun 
try." 

"  From  the  holy  Brahmin  who  foretold  the  luck 
which  is  to  come,"  replied  the   hunter,  reverently. 

"  Is  the  holy  man  a  fish  ?  or  a  beast  of  the  forest  ? 
that  he  should  have  cast  his  residence  hereabouts," 
said  Naon. 

"  The  colar  must  have  patience,  and  he  will  dis- 
cover,"  replied  Mikee,  sternly;  and   so   ended  the 
conversation. 
16 


242  THE    WIIITE    ELEPHANT. 

At  length  we  reached  some  high  rocks  which  ran 
parallel  with  the  left  bank  of  the  river  and  were 
washed  by  the  tide.  Rowing  along  these  rocks  till 
we  had  reached  nearly  midway,  we  came  to  what  at 
first  appeared  to  be  a  large  fissure,  but  which  I  after- 
ward found  to  be  one  of  those  wondrous  formations 
effected  by  time  and  nature,  and  which  man,  in  his 
presumption,  and  for  want  of  a  better  simile,  so  glibly 
compares  to  his  own  works. 

Imagine  a  cavern  fifteen  miles  in  length,  through 
which  flowed  the  rushing  waters  of  the  Irrawaddy  in 
their  passage  to  another  and  smaller  river,  and  a  mag- 
nificently vaulted  roof  covered  with  stupendous  stalac- 
tites glittering  in  the  dim  light  received  from  either 
entrance,  and  you  will  realize  that  through  which  we 
then  passed,  for  a  distance  of  at  least  two  miles,  when, 
to  my  astonishment,  we  came  to  a  flight  of  steps,  ap- 
parently hewn  by  man  out  of  the  left  hand  wall  of 
the  cavern. 

"It  is  here,"  said  Mikee,  "that  our  voyage  ends, 
for  it  is  in  this  secluded  place  that  the  holy  Brahmin 
contemplates  divine  things." 

"  But  are  we  to  sleep  in  this  water  cave  ?"  said  I. 

"  Thy  servant  will  consult  the  pleasure  of  the  holy 
man,"  said  Mikee,  ascending  the  steps,  and  striking  a 
small  bell  suspended  near  the  vaulted  doorway. 

With  great  curiosity  I  kept  my  eyes  upon  the 
door.  It  opened :  a  venerable  man,  clothed  in  white, 
and  with  a  cap  of  the  same  color,  made  his  appear- 
ance, before  whom  the  hunter  bent  his  body  as  lowly 
as'  the  narrow  stairs  would  permit. 


A   WONDERFUL   CAVE.  243 

What  passed  between  them  I  know  not,  for  they 
spoke  in  such  low  tones  that  I  could  not  catch  a  sylla- 
ble. Whatever  it  might  have  been,  we  were  satisfied, 
for  when  the  holy  man  disappeared  within  his  cave, 
JMikee  said — 

"  The  holy  man  will  provide  us  with  lodging  for 
the  night;  follow." 

Mikee  led  the  way  up  the  steps,  along  a  narrow 
passage  into  a  vaulted  chamber,  which  seemed  to 
have  been  hewn  out  of  the  rock,  where,  when  we  had 
kindled  a  fire  and  warmed  our  food,  he  left  us  to — I 
suppose — seek  another  interview  with  his  friend  the 
Brahmin. 

"Truly  it  is  wonderful  that  the  holy  Brahmin 
permits  such  impure  creatures  to  eat  beneath  his  roof," 
said  Naon. 

"  This  is  a  separate  cavity  of  the  rock,  ISTaon  ;  and 
thus,  at  least  in  Burma,  where  the  Brahminical  reli- 
gion is  not  tolerated;  not  followed  by  the  people,  the 
holy  man's  caste  will  not  suffer,"  said  I ;  adding, 
"yet  it  is  rare  to  find  a  Brahmin  hermit  in  Burma." 

"The  Burmans  are  followers  of  Buddha  under 
the  form  of  Guadama;  but  the  kinofs  of  Ava  have 
always  been  partial  to  the  Brahmins,  who  are  the 
astrologers  of  the  court,  and  without  consulting  whom, 
no  affair,  either  of  public  or  private  importance,  is 
undertaken;  and  that  has  made  them  so  popular  that 
it  is  rare  to  find  a  viceroy  or  great  lord  who  has  not 
one  or  more  in  his  household,"  said  Naon ;  adding, 
"  this  holy  Brahmin  was  one  of  the  royal  astrologers, 
and  a  favorite  of  the  king,  when  thy  servant  was  at 


244  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

the  capital.  He  has  probably  since  been  disgraced, 
and  prayerfully  awaits  here  restoration  to  favor, 
performing  self-sacrifices  and  studying  the  holy 
books." 

"  The  holy  books ;  you  mean  the  Vedas,  the  Shas- 
ters." 

"  I  do,  sahib ;  they  are  the  books  of  a  cruel  creed, 
a  mockery  of  the  Lord  of  heaven's  goodness ;  a  creed 
that  imposes  upon  its  disciples  foolish  and  "wicked 
self-sacrifices.  Some  live  alone,  upon  a  little  milk  and 
fruit ;  some  sit  for  many  hours  together,  painfully  en- 
deavoring to  refrain  from  sleep,  and  continually  re- 
peating a  prayer.  Some  thrust  their  heads  through  an 
iron  yoke  of  several  pounds  weight,  three  or  four  feet 
in  diameter  at  the  top,  enjoining  themselves  to  carry 
it  till  they  have  collected  a  large  sum  of  money  for 
the  building  of  a  religious  house.  Others  fix  heavy 
chains  upon  their  legs,  one  end  of  Avhick  comes  over 
their  shoulders,  while  the  other  drags  upon  the 
ground  after  them.  Others  chain  themselves  by  the 
foot  to  a  tree,  resolving  to  await  there  till  they  die. 
Some  use  wooden  shoes  stuck  full  of  nails  hi  the  in- 
side ;  some  sleep  upon  the  ground  with  one  leg 
higher  than  the  other,  and  their  arms  raised  above 
their  heads. 

"  Indeed,  they  are  guilty  of  many  other  follies,  such 
as  placing  their  heads  Avhere  their  heels  should  be, 
and  so  repeating  their  prayers ;  or  hanging  with  their 
heads  downward  over  a  fire ;  confining  themselves  in 
cages  so  small  that  they  cannot  move  in  them  ;  while 
others  seek  to  please  the  Creator  by  throwing  them- 


A   WONDERFUL   CAVE.  245 

selves  into  the  river  Ganges,  with  the  hope  of  being 
devoured  by  crocodiles." 

"But  their  holy  books?  have  you  read  them, 
Naon?"  I  said. 

"  If  the  sahib  will  listen,  his  servant  will  repeat  tho 
most  curious  portion  of  their  Shasters. 

"  To  what  does  it  relate  ?"  I  asked. 

"  The  first  formation  of  the  world,  and  the  creation 
of  living  creatures,"  said  he. 

"  Then  relate  it." 

Naon  complied,  and  I  give  you  his  epitome  in  his 
own  words ;  and  if  you  find  it  tedious,  I  shall  miss  my 
great  object,  namely,  that  of  placing  before  you, 
plainly,  simply,  an  account  of  a  book  which  although 
hitherto  only  read  by  the  learned,  is  in  fact  pleasing 
as  a  romance,  and  deeply  interesting  as  being  the 
Bible,  or  basis  of  the  religious  belief  of  one  of  the 
most  ancient  of  the  world's  sects. 

"  Thus,  then,  sahib,"  began  Naon,  "  the  Shasters 
tell  us  that  the  great  God,  being  alone,  bethought 
himself  how  he  might  make  his  wondrous  excellences 
and  power  manifest  to  others,  for  his  great  virtue  had 
been  obscured,  if  it  had  not  been  communicated  to 
his  creatures  ;  and  wThat  might  give  better  evidence 
than  the  creation  of  a  world,  and  creatures  therein  ? 

"  Thus,  as  the  groundwork  of  this  mighty  work 
men  call  the  universe,  the  Lord  made  four  elements : 
earth,  air,  fire,  and  water,  which,  although  at  first  all 
mingled  together  in  confusion,  he  separated  by  a 
breath  ;  whereupon  the  waters  arose  in  a  bubble  of  a 
round  form,  like  an  egg,  which,  like  circles  in  a  river, 


246  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

spread  and  expanded  till  the  firmament  which  now 
encompasses  the  whole  world  became  clear  and  trans- 
parent. 

"  Of  the  sediment  and  some  liquid  substance  re- 
maining, the  Lord  made  a  round  ball  which  he  called 
the  lower  world  ;  the  more  solid  part  being  the  earth 
the  more  liquid  the  seas,  but  both  making  one  globe. 
He  by  a  great  noise  or  humming  sound  placed  them 
in  the  midst  of  the  firmament,  in  which  he  created  a 
sun  and  moon  to  distinguish  the  seasons ;  and  thus 
the  four  elements,  that  were  at  first  mixed  together, 
became  separate,  and  assigned  to  their  several  places 
— the  air,  the  earth,  the  water,  and  the  fii-e.  The  air 
filled  up  whatsoever  was  empty,  the  fire  began  to 
nourish  with  its  heat,  the  earth  and  the  sea  brought 
forth  its  living  creatures,  and  thus  the  great  globe 
was  created. 

"  The  world  having  had  its  beginning  from  four 
elements,  so  it  was  measured  by  four  main  points  of 
the  compass,  east,  west,  north,  and  south,  and  was  to 
be  continued  for  four  ages,  and  to  be  peopled  by 
four  castes,  or  sorts  of  men. 

"  God  having  thus  made  the  world  and  the  crea- 
tures thereto  belonging,  as  a  creature  more  worthy 
than  the  rest,  and  one  that  might  be  most  capable  of, 
the  works  of  God,  created  man  from  the  bowels  of 
the  earth,  his  head  appearing  first,  and  afterward  his 
body;  into  which  God  conveyed  life,  when  color 
began  to  show  itself  red  in  his  lips,  his  eyelids  began 
to  disclose  the  two  lights  of  nature,  the  parts  of  his 
body  put  themselves  into  motion,  and  hi?  understand- 


A  WONDERFUL   CAVE.  247 

ing  being  informed,  lie  acknowledged  his  Maker,  and 
gave  him  worship.  That  this  creature  might  not  be 
alone,  who  was  made  by  nature  sociable,  God  second- 
ed him  with  a  wife ;  and  the  first  man's  name  was 
Pourous,  and  his  Avife's  name  was  Parcoutee ;  and 
they  lived  together,  feeding  upon  the  fruits  of  the 
earth,  without  destruction  of  any  living  creature. 

"  These  two  had  four  sons,  named  Brammon,  Cut- 
tery,  Shuddery,  and  Wyse.  Over  the  natures  of  each 
of  the  boys  a  separate  element  predominated.  Bram- 
mon was  earthly,,  therefore  melancholy  and  ingenious ; 
so  God  endowed  him  with  knowledge,  and  appointed 
him  to  impart  his  precepts  and  laws  unto  his  people, 
his  grave  and  serious  look  best  fitting  him  for  such  a 
purpose  ;  for  which  cause  God  gave  him  a  book  con- 
taining the  form  of  divine  worship  and  religion. 

"  Cuttery  was  fiery,  therefore  martial ;  so  God 
gave  him  power  to  sway  kingdoms  with  the  sceptre, 
and  to  bring  men  into  order,  that  the  public  weal 
might  thrive  by  united  endeavors  for  the  common 
good ;  as  an  emblem  of  which,  the  Almighty  put  a 
sword  into  his  hand,  the  instrument  of  victory  and 
dominion. 

"  Shuddery  was  of  a  phlegmatic  constitution,  and 
therefore  of  a  peaceful  disposition ;  and  so  it  was 
thought  meet  he  should  be  a  merchant,  to  enrich  the 
commonwealth  by  trafiic,  so  that  every  place  might 
abound  with  all  things  by  the  use  of  shipping  and 
navigation :  as  a  monitor  to  put  him  in  mind  of  which 
course  of  life,  he  had  a  pair  of  balances  put  into  his 
hand,  and  a  bag  of  weights  hung  at  his  girdle. 


248  THE   'WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  Wyse,  being  of  an  airy  temper,  was  full  of  con- 
trivances and  inventions,  was  able,  by  Ins  first 
thoughts,  to  form  anything  that  belonged  to  the  me- 
chanic handicraftsman ;  for  which  purpose  he  had  a 
bag  of  tools,  consisting  of  such  variety  as  were  neces* 
sary  to  effectuate  the  works  of  fancy  or  conceit. 

"  For  these  four  sons  wives  were  at  the  same  time 
created  by  God,  who  placed  them  at  the  four  winds. 
One  at  the  east,  another  at  the  west,  a  third  at  the 
north,  and  a  fourth  at  the  south;  to  each  of  Avhi^h 
points  he  directed  the  footsteps  of  the  brothers,  who 
thereby  found  a  wife  assimilating  to  his  own  disposi- 
tion. Thus  the  four  quarters  of  the  world  became 
peopled  with  a  prosperous,  and,  for  some  time  happy 
race,  who  were  instructed  in  religion  and  their  duties 
to  God  by  Brammon,  the  keeper  of  the  holy  book 
and  commandments ;  in  rule  and  dominion  by  Glit- 
tery ;  in  traffic  and  merchandise  by  Shuddery ;  and 
in  inventions  and  handicrafts  by  "Wyse.  Of  which 
four  castes  the  world  consisted,  every  one  of  them 
living  in  their  several  qualities,  keeping  their  tribes 
free  from  confusion,  or  interfering  with  each  other. 

"  But,  alas  !  where  there  are  many  men  there  will 
be  many  evils.  Prosperity,  that  makes  us  forgetful 
of  ourselves,  began  to  confound  goodness,  and  turn 
everything  out  of  order.  Brammon  grew  neglectful 
of  his  piety  ;  Cuttery  grew  cruel  and  full  of  usurpation  ; 
Shuddery  grew  deceitful  in  the  weights  and  balances, 
and  practised  cheating  among  his  brethren ;  and 
Wyse  lost  his  conscience  in  his  dealings,  and  became 
a  spendthrift,  making  the  profits  that  came  by  his  in- 


A  WONDERFUL   CAVE.  249 

ventions  but  the  furtherances  of  riot  and  excess ;  and 
as  they  were  thus  evil  in  themselves,  so  were  they 
evil  one  toward  another.  Brammon  was  envious  of 
Cuttery's  greatness.  Cuttery  failed  to  give  Brammon 
the  pre-eminence  of  his  birth,  and  forgetting  the  holy 
book,  as  if  his  might  had  been  sufficient  to  give  him 
the  right  of  priority,  he  placed  all  excellence  in  rule 
and  authority,  thereby  prizing  his  own  laws  before 
those  of  God,  because  they  came  from  his  brother. 

"Again,  Shuddery  pleased  himself  with  the 
slaughter  of  those  that  displeased  him  ;  laid  taxations 
upon  Shuddery,  and  drained  the  profit  of  Wyse's  la- 
bors. Then  Wyse,  seeing  Brammon  lose  his  respect 
for  religion,  the  more  to  make  him  despised,  sought 
to  bring  a  new  form  of  religion,  communicated  to  him 
in  a  vision  concerning  the  worship  of  images,  and 
bowing  to  pagods. 

"  Thus  God  grew  angry  at  this  great  wickedness. 
The  heavens  were  clothed  with  blackness  and  terror ; 
the  seas  began  to  swell  as  if  they  meant  to  join  in 
man's  destruction  ;  a  great  noise  was  heard  aloft, 
such  as  dismayed  mortals ;  and  thunder  and  light- 
ning flashed  from  the  poles,  such  as  seemed  to 
threaten  a  final  wreck  to  the  earth ;  but,  as  if  the 
world  needed  cleansing  of  its  defilement  and  pollution, 
there  came  a  flood  that  covered  all  the  nations  in  the 
depths.  Thus  the  bodies  had  their  judgment,  but 
the  souls  were  lodged  in  the  bosom  of  the  Almighty; 
and  so  concluded  the  first  age  of  the  world. 

"  But  though  God's  justice  was  so  great  that  he 
would  not  let  wickedness  go   unpunished,   yet   he 


250  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

created  another  world  that  he  might  have  new  crea- 
tures, to  whom  his  wisdom,  power,  and  mercy  might 
be  declared.  To  this  end  God  descended  from 
heaven  upon  a  great  mountain,  and  cried — "  Rise  up 
Bremaw,  the  first  of  living  creatures  in  the  second 
age.  The  earth  then  rendered  up  Bremaw,  who  did 
acknowledge  and  worship  his  maker ;  and  "by  a  se- 
cond and  third  command  from  the  same  place,  he 
raised  up  Vystney  and  Ruddery.  To  Brernaw  he 
gave  the  power  to  make  creatures,  to  Vystney  the 
power  to  preserve,  and  to  Ruddery  the  power  to  de- 
stroy creatures,  because  he  knew  they  would  be 
wicked  and  deserve  a  judgment  amongst  them. 

"  Now  that  Bremaw  might  have  power  to  make 
creatures,  God  endowed  him  Avith  abilities  of  produc- 
tion and  creation ;  and  that  Vystney  might  preserve 
the  creatures  when  made,  the  Lord  gave  all  things 
into  his  power  that  might  tend  to  the  preservation 
of  those  that  Bremaw  should  make ;  therefore  he 
made  Vystney  lord  of  the  sun  and  moon,  of  the 
clouds,  and  showers,  and  dews  that  fall  upon  the 
earth ;  lord  of  the  hills  and  valleys ;  disposer  of  the 
changes  of  the  year;  the  conferrer  of  riches,  health, 
honor,  and  whatever  tended  to  the  well-being  of 
man  and  the  rest  of  his  creatures. 

"  And  that  Ruddery  might  be  a  fit  executioner  of 
God's  justice,  the  Lord  gave  into  his  possession 
Avhatever  might  tend  to  the  destruction  of  living 
creatures ;  therefore  Ruddery  was  made  lord  of 
death  and  judgment,  and  all  that  might  tend  to  the 
punishment  of  man,  whether  it  was  sickness,  famine 


A  WONDERFUL   CAVE.  251 

war,  or  pestilence,  or  anything  else  that  might  be  a 
plague  for  sin. 

"  To  each  of  these  persons  the  Lord  assigned  a  de- 
terminate time  for  remaining  upon  earth.  Bremaw's 
term  was  the  shortest,  as  he  required  less  time  to 
conclude  his  work  of  creation  ;  after  which,  he  was 
taken  up  to  the  Almighty.  Vystney  was  kept  upon 
earth  till  he  had  doubled  Bremaw's  term,  because 
there  was  longer  need  of  his  preservation ;  and  because 
the  world  should  end  in  destruction,  the  continuance 
of  Ruddery  upon  earth  was  three  times  as  long,  so 
that,  when  the  great  day  of  judgment  should  come, 
he  might  destroy  all  the  bodies,  and  carry  the  souls 
with  him  to  the  place  of  glory. 

"  Thus  did  Bremaw  repeople  the  earth,  Vystney 
provide  all  things  necessary  for  the  substance  and 
preservation  of  the  creatures  Bremaw  made,  and 
thus  did  Ruddery  disperse  afflictions,  sickness,  death, 
and  judgment,  according  as  the  sons  of  men  did  by 
their  wickedness,  invoke  this  smart  upon  themselves  ; 
and  this  was  the  order  God  took  for  restoring  of 
people  to  inherit  the  earth  in  the  second  age  of  the 
world. 

"  But  God  knowing  there  would  be  evil  govern- 
ment where  there  was  not  the  establishment  of  his 
government  and  fear,  bethought  himself  of  srivinsf 
them  laws  to  restrain  the  evil  within  them  that  was 
the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  the  former  age  ;  there- 
fore, descending  to  a  high  mountain,  he  called  Bre- 
maw to  him,  and  out  of  a  dark  and  dusky  cloud,  with 
certain  glimpses  of  his  glory,  he  magnified  himself  to 


252  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Bremaw,  telling  him  that  the  cause  why  he  brought 
destruction  on  the  former  age  was  because  they  did 
not  observe  the  instructions  contained  in  the  book 
delivered  to  Brammon.  So,  delivering  a  book  out 
of  the  cloud  into  the  hand  of  Bremaw,  he  commanded 
him  to  acquaint  the  people  with  the  things  contained 
therein. 

"The  second  age,  however,  in  course  of  time,  be- 
coming as  corrupt  as  the  former,  the  Lord  gave  charge 
to  Ruddery  to  cause  the  earth  to  send  out  a  wind  to 
sweep  the  nations  as  dust  from  the  face  of  the  globe, 
which  being  done,  a  third  age  was  created,  which  in 
its  turn  becoming  as  corrupt  as  the  others,  was  swal- 
lowed up  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  leaving  only  a 
few  people  to  replenish  the  world,  to  begin  the 
fourth  and  last  age, — that  in  which  we  live,  which 
will  be  longer  than  the  others,  yet  ultimately  be  des- 
troyed by  fire,  when  Ruddery  will  carry  up  all  the 
souls  to  heaven  with  him,  although  their  bodies  will 
all  perish." 

"  It  is  an  ingenious  romance,  yet  without  author- 
ity for  these  cruelties  so  commonly  practised  by  its 
believers,"  said  I,  when  Naon  had  finished. 

"  No,  sahib,  for  these  writings  were  the  product 
of  the  ingenious  brain  of  a  good  man  groping  for 
light  in  the  midst  of  darkness.  The  cruelties  origi- 
nated in  the  hearts  of  his  degenerate  descendants, 
whose  vanity,  engendered  by  that  pride  of  caste 
which  teaches  them  that  they  are  the  highest  and 
holiest  of  God's  creatures,  blinds  their  vision,  or  har- 
dens their  minds  to  those  revealed  truths  which  the 


A  WONDERFUL   CAVE.  253 

founder  of  their  faith,  but  for  his  ignorance,  would 
have  cherished  in  the  holy  of  holies  of  his  soul,"  said 
Naon,  with  a  warmth  and  eloquence  that  surprised 
me,  and  who  then  began  to  compare  the  pagan  creed 
with  the  faith  of  his  Portuguese  fathers;  but  was 
interrupted  by  the  reaj^pearance  of  the  hunter. 


254  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

MIKEE     OBTAINS     NEWS      FROM     THE      NATS     ABOUT     A 
WHITE     ELEPHANT. 

So  bright  was  the  eye,  so  elastic  the  step  of  the 
hunter,  when  he  rejoined  us,  that  I  said — 

"  Surely  you  have  received  good  news,  Mikee  ?" 

"  The  cloud-curtain  that  has  so  long  obscured  thy 
servant's  career  will  shortly  be  lifted,  O  colar." 

"  Then  may  it  never  again  fall  before  thy  path," 
said  I,  laughing. 

"  Mikee's  good  X at  (spirit)  is  at  his  elbow  to  com- 
bat the  invisible  Beloo  (devil)  which  has  hitherto 
opposed  him,"  was  the  serious  reply. 

"  Was  it  to  hear  this,  then,  that  you  brought  us 
into  this  cave  ?"  said  I,  really  vexed  that  our  voyage 
should  have  been  stayed  by  such  nonsense. 

"The  good  in  store  will  repay  the  cost  of  trouble, 
for  the  holy  Brahmin,  to  whom  the  secrets  of  nature 
are  known,  has  consulted  the  invisible  fates." 

"  And  what  say  they,  Mikee  ?"  I  asked,  making  a 
painful  effort  to  repress  a  laugh  at  his  credulity. 

"  That  the  fortunate  day  for  which  thy  servant  has 
so  long  sought  is  near ;  that  if  he  awaits  patiently,  it 
will  soon  open  upon  him  and  his  race,"  was  the  ear- 
nest reply. 

"  Would  the  brave  hunter  have  us  await  in  his  cavo 


NEWS   OF   A   WHITE   ELEPHANT.  255 

until  his  fortunate  day  arrives?"  asked  Xaon,  with 
a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  which  clearly  intimated  his 
opinion  that,  if  so,  we  should  have  to  endure  a  long- 
imprisonment. 

"•It    is  not  so,  irreverent  colar,"   replied   Mikee, 

angrily  ;  adding,  "  we  depart  at  daybreak ;  till  when, 
the  charity  of  the  holy  man  bestows  upon  us  the 
shelter  of  his  roof." 

"  Then  we  had  better  seek  a  few  hours'  sleep," 
said  I ;  and  shortly  afterward  our  whole  party  were 
in  the  arms  of  Somnus. 

At  daybreak  we  resumed  our  voyage  ;  and  when 
we  had  passed  from  the  cavern  into  the  open  river, 
Mikee  who  sat  next  to  me,  became  very-communica- 
tive with  reference  to  the  Brahmin,  whom  he  said 
had  been  chief  of  the  royal  astrologers  ;  but  having 
had  the  misfortune  to  offend  "  the  Golden  Foot,"  his 
majesty  had  ordered  him  to  be  trodden  to  death  by 
elephants.  The  Brahmin,  however,  by  means  of  one 
of  the  courtiers,  having  escaped  from  the  palace,  had 
wandered  for  months  through  the  mountains  and  for- 
ests of  Burma  into  the  low  lands  and  swampy  jun- 
gles of  Pegu. 

"Truly,  O  Mikee,  it  is  strange  that  a  Brahmin 
should  condescend  to  bestow  his  holy  regards  upon 
a  poor  Carian  hunter,  and  thus  risk  degradation  from 
his  high  caste,"  said  I. 

"  Many  moons  have  risen  and  waned  since  the  holy 
man,  while  wandering  through  the  forest  footsore  and 
hungered,  met  with  thy  servant,  who,  recognising  in 
him  the  Brahmin  who  years  before  had  rested  in  the 


256  TIIE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Carian  village  and  foretold  that  great  fortune  was  in 
store  for  him,  besought  of  the  reverned  personage  to 
say  how  it  was  that  one  so  venerable  should  be  en- 
countering the  fatigues  and  dangers  of  the  jungle ; 
when,  to  the  sorrow  of  thy  servant,  he  replied  that 
he  was  seeking  an  asylum  where  he  might  remain 
hidden  from  the  anger  of  the  Golden  King  till  a  great 
event  should,  through  his  means,  burst  upon  the 
world  when,  most  assuredly,  the  cloud  of  wrath 
which  then,  as  now,  obscured  the  glorious  golden 
sun  of  majesty  from  his  vision,  would  become  dispelled. 
No  sooner  did  the  words  of  the  holy  man  fall  into  my 
ears  than  this  heart  beat  tumultuously  with  rejoicing, 
for  in  one  of  my  voyagings  and  huntings  I  had  dis- 
covered the  cavern  we  had  just  left.  It  was  there  I 
conveyed  him  in  my  boat ;  and  although  many  moons 
have  passed  since  that  day,  not  one  without  my  con- 
veying to  the  cave  the  necessaries  of  life." 

"Truly  thou  art  generous  as  well  as  brave,  Mi- 
kee,"  said  I. 

"  Good  deeds  are  rewarded  when  least  expected, 
by  the  Nats,"  he  replied  reverently. 

"  May  thine  meet  Avith  the  amplest  reward,"  said  I. 

"  They  will — they  have,  O  noble  colar ;  for  the 
Nats  have  intermingled  the  fortunes  of  the  worthless 
Carian  with  those  of  the  holy  Brahmin." 

"What  mean  you?"  I  asked  believing  a  latent 
meaning  to  be  hidden  in  his  speech. 

"  Let  the  noble  colar  open  his  ears,"  and  bending 
nearer,  he  whispered,  "  the  event  foretold  by  the 
Brahmin  was  the  discovery  of  a  lord  White  Elephant." 


I, 


NEWS    OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT.  257 

"  Did  the  priest  so  prophesy  to  the  king  ?" 

"  He  did ;  but  his  majesty,  not  believing  that  so 
much  happiness  could  happen  during  his  reign,  turn- 
ed a  deaf  ear  to  flw  holy  man's  words." 

"  But  even  should  this  event  occur  ?"  I  asked  in- 
quiringly. 

"  Then  the  Brahmin  will  be  restored  to  the  golden 
favor,"  >*'iid  the  hunter. 

"  Truly  so ;  but  even  then,  O  Mikee,  how  is  it 
possible  that  thou  canst  be  benefited?"  said  I. 

"  The  Nats  work  out  their  own  ends  by  their  own 
means,"  he  replied ;  adding,  slowly  and  distinctly, 
"  so  have  they  disclosed  to  the  Brahmin  the  district 
in  which,  even  at  this  moment,  the  sacred  beast  is 
roaming." 

"  Do  you  really  believe  this  ?"  said  I,  fearing  that 
the  priest  had  been  practising  upon  the  hunter's  cre- 
dulity for  the  purpose  of  working  out  some  end  of 
his  own. 

"  It  is  true,  O  noble  colar ;  for  with  his  own  holy 
eyes  the  Brahmin,  while  wandering  in  the  woods 
near  Tharee,  saw  the  animal  among  a  herd ;  and  hav- 
ing seen  it,  disclosed  the  secret  to  his  servant  as  a 
reward  for  his  small  services." 

"  Then,  truly,  thou  mayest  rejoice,  O  Mikee ;  for 
if  this  be  true,  and  thou  canst  lead  to  its  capture,  thy 
fortunes  will  be  great,"  said  I,  being  fully  aware  of 
the  wealth  and  honor  that  had  been  bestowed  upon 
the  fortunate  few  who  had  taken  White  Elephants. 

"  The  Nats  have  willed  it,  therefore  the  sacred  an- 
imal shall  be  found  to  grace  the  state  of  the  Golden 
17 


258  THE    WHITS   ELEPHANT. 

Foot,"  he  replied  ;  and  our  converse  ended,  for  it  was 
our  turn  to  relieve  Naon  and  Seree  from  the  oars. 

We  pulled  manfully  and  h*  good  spirits  ;  for,  not- 
withstanding that  the  arrival  at  my  .dace  of  destina 
tion  would  be  delayed,  I  must  admit  I  felt    greatly 
pleased  at  the  prospect  of  witnessing    an  elephant 

hunt. 

The  river  now  ran  through  a  fine  country,  which 
presented,  I  think,  the  most  beautiful  and  picturwique 
view  I  had  ever  beheld.  An  ampitheatre  of  hills. 
nearly  surrounded  us  ;  on  our  left  was  a  large  island, 
well  wooded  and  raised  above  all  others  I  had  seen  ; 
which,  for  the  greater  part  being  low  and  subject  to 
inundations,  prevented  the  growth  of  trees,  and  were 
covered  with  nothing  but  tall  grass.  The  river,  also, 
which  was  wider  than  at  any  other  part,  was  placid 
as  a  lake,  and  swollen  by  the  rains,  lay  sparkling  be- 
neath a  clear  blue  sky,  from  which  darted  the  mag- 
nificent rays  of  an  Eastern  sun;  while  the  hills  at  every 
peak  were  surmounted  by  the  glittering  gilded  roofs 
of  pagodas.  Then  to  the  right  of  us  arose  the 
buildings  of  a  great  town,  which,  had  it  been  hidden 
among  the  hills,  the  veriest  stranger  might  have 
guessed  to  be  near,  from  that  revolting,  but  sure  sign 
of  civilization,  a  place  of  execution. 

This  place  was  situated  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  be- 
neath a  large  tamarind-tree.  On  each  side  of  the 
tree  was  a  wooden  rail,  on  which  were  the  remains 
of  two  human  bodies.  One  of  these  was  nearly  entire 
and  exhibited  the  malefactor  in  the  attitude  in  which 
he  had  been    executed.     The   leo-g    and    arms  were 


NEWS    OF   A   WHITE   ELEPHANT.  250 

stretched  out  against  the  rail  to  the  utmost  extent ; 
the  head  had  fallen  over  on  the  breast,  and  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  body  showed  that  death  had  been 
inflicted  in  the  fearful  manner  of  the  Burmans,  name- 
ly, by  disemboweling.  I  turned  my  head  away, 
sickened  with  the  sight. 

jSTaon  from  his  childhood  accustomed  to  such 
scenes,  seeing  the  expressions  of  my  face,  he  said — 

"  The  sight  is  not  so  agreeable  to  the  sahib  as  to  the 
inhabitants  of  yonder  town,  who  must  rejoice  that 
these  wretches,  who  were  robbers  and  assassins,  and 
long  their  terror,  have  thus  become  food  for  the 
birds." 

"  Tush,  Naon !  Their  punishment  may  have  been 
deserved,  but  their  sufferings  must  have  been  horri- 
ble, and  such  that  none  but  savages  could  have  inflic- 
ted," I  replied. 

"  The  death  is  quick,  and  the  sufferings  are  less 
than  the  ne-peem'ha  Than  the  ('spreading  out  in  the 
hot  sun'),  to  which  the  lords  of  the  coui't  are  so 
frequently  put." 

"That,  indeed,  must  be  a  terrible  punishment," 
said  I. 

"  It  is  sahib ;  worse  than  being  trodden  upon  by 
the  elephant ;  for  that  animal  kills,  while  the  minister 
who  undergoes  ne-pee  m'ha  Than  the  is  streched 
upon  his  back  by  the  public  executioners,  and  thus 
exposed  for  many  hours,  in  the  hottest  part  of  the 
day,  with  a  weight  upon  his  breast,  more  or  less 
heavy,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  offence,  or  at 
least  the  king's  judgment." 


260  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"  Surely  the  offence  must  be  great,  even  in  Burma, 
to  be  visited  with  such  a  punishment,"  said  I. 

"  It  is  not  so,  sahib,"  said  Naon. 

And  by  way  of  illustration,  he  told  me  that  a  fire 
having  broken  out  in  the  suburbs  a  few  days  before 
he  left  the  capital,  which  destroyed  a  great  number 
of  houses,  and  among  them  that  of  the  widow  of  the 
king's  favorite  minister  and  tutor,  the  woman  com- 
plained to  his  majesty  that  during  the  conflagration, 
the  ministers,  whose  duty  it  was  to  have  been  pres- 
ent, and  especially  Kaulen,  who  was  her  husband's 
successor,  were  not  at  their  posts.  The  king,  who 
unfortunately  happened  to  be  very  much  out  of  tem- 
per, having  listened  to  the  jealous  old  woman,  sum- 
moned the  ministers  before  him,  and  drawing  his 
sword,  ordered  them  one  by  one  to  come  foward  and 
swear  upon  it  that  they  were  pi*esent  at  the  fire  and 
assisted  in  extinguishing  it.  Kaulen  came  foward 
and  declared  that,  although  he  had  not  been  present 
he  had  gone  to  the  Rung  d'hau  (Town-hall)  to  give 
the  necessary  instructions  upon  the  occasion. 

The  king,  however,  not  satisfied  with  the  explana- 
tion, ordered  Kaulen  to  be  immediately  taken  out  of 
the  audience  chamber ;  when  the  minister,  to  avoid 
being  dragged  away,  according  to  custom,  by  the 
hair  of  his  head,  voluntarily  made  as  rapid  a  retreat 
as  could  a  man  of  weakly  constitution,  and  sixty  years 
of  age  ;  but  speedily  he  was  followed,  secured,  and 
given  over  to  the  public  executioner,  who  thus  saw 
that  the  first  most  faithful  and  zealous  of  the  great  offi- 
cers of  state  underwent  the  punishment  of  being  spread 


NEWS   OF   A   WHITE   ELEPHANT.  201 

out  in  the  sun,  and  that  too,  not  as  is  customary  with 
prisoners  of  rank,  within  the  palace  enclosure,  but  in 
the  public  road,  in  view  of  a  multitude  of  spectators. 

"  Truly  it  is  a  barbarous  country,  ruled  over  by 
more  barbarous  despots,"  said  I  with  a  feeling  of 
indignation,  which,  being  observed  by  Mikee,  he  said, 

"  Is  the  noble  colar  ignorant  of  the  power  of  the 
Golden  Foot,  that  he  should  wonder  that  his  glorious 
majesty  can  punish  his  own  slaves?" 

"  Slaves,  Mikee ;  why,  this  Kaulen  was  the  first 
and  greatest  of  his  ministers." 

"  The  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  kings  and  ministers, 
are  slaves  of  the  Golden  King,  who  has  power  of  lifo 
and  death  over  all." 

"  Not  so ;  my  king  is  neither  a  slave  or  the  posses- 
sor of  slaves,"  said  I,  with  a  foolish  warmth ;  when  the 
good  humored  hunter,  not  noticing,  but  evidently  bewil- 
dered at  the  notion  of  a  king  without  slaves,   said — 

"  If  the  king  of  the  colars  is  a  great  king,  it  is  but 
reasonable  that  he  can  spread  out  in  the  sun  his 
chief  lords." 

Whereupon  ;  picturing  to  myself  the  prime  minis- 
ter of  England  being  spread  out  in  St.  James's  Park 
for  neglecting  the  duty  of  a  fireman,  I  should,  but 
for  fear  of  offending  the  simple  hunter,  have  laughed 
outright;  my  reply,  however,  was  rendered  needless 
by  Seree,  who  speaking  for  the  first  time  came  to 
my  rescue,  by  saying — 

"  Truly,  my  brother,  I  have  heard  that  in  the  land 
of  these  colars  the  sun  never  shines."  An  observa- 
tion which  seemed  to  increase  the  astonishment  of 


262  THE   WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

Mikee,  who,  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  replied 
gravely — 

"  It  must  he  a  cold  country,  and " 

But  Mikee  was  interrupted  hy  Naon's  calling  out 
that  the  paper-maker's  village  was  in  sight ;  when, 
as  it  was  deep  into  the  evening,  and  we  were  desi- 
rous of  landing  before  the  gates  should  he  closed,  we 
silently  toiled  at  the  oars  until  we  had  run  the  boat 
ashore  upon  the  left  hank  of  the  river,  near  a  stocka- 
ded village,  consisting  of  some  twenty  huts,  which 
like  all  the  rest  I  had  seen,  bore  the  customary  re- 
semblance to  large-sized  pigeon-houses,  in  which 
resided  the  people  whose  occupation  gave,  its  name 
to  the  village;  and  one  family  of  whom,  knowing 
Mikee,  gave  us  a  very  hospitable  reception  and  shel- 
ter for  the  night. 

I  have  called  this  congregation  of  huts  a  village  of 
paper-makers  ;  you  must  not,  however,  by  that  pic- 
ture to  yourself  any  of  these  large  mills  for  which 
many  districts  in  England  are  celebrated ;  for  paper- 
making,  like  the  rest  of  the  arts,  is  in  a  very  primitive 
state  among  the  Burmans,  who  use  three  descriptions 
of  that  article.  The  first,  and  which  is  the  only  one 
made  in  the  kingdom,  is  fabricated  from  the  fibres 
of  the  young  bamboo,  and  that,  too,  by  a  very  rude 
process,  of  which  Captain  Yule,  the  most  recent 
traveler  in  Burma,  gives  the  following  description: — ■ 

"  The  frame  is  stretched  with  the  common  close 
woven  cotton-cloth  of  the  country,  bordered  with 
wooden  ledges,  to  confine  the  pulp.  This  is  placed 
in  a  shallow  trough,  the  pulp  being  then  poured  in, 


NEWS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT.  263 

spread  over  the  frame,  and  rolled  with  bamboo.  It 
is  then  lifted  slowly,  and  drained ;  but  the  sheet  cannot 
be  removed  at  once,  as  it  is  even  in  the  rude  Bengalee 
process.  The  frame  is  set  for  some  time  to  dry  in  the 
sim  before  this  is  attempted.  The  material  is  the  fibre 
of  green  bamboos :  this  is  macerated  in  small  tanks 
ibr  some  weeks,  and  then  pounded  into  a  coai*se  pulp. 
The  bamboos  are  about  an  inch  and  a  quarter  in  di- 
ameter, are  split  into  shavings  about  one  eighth  of  an 
inch  in  thickness. 

"The  resulting  paper,"  adds  Captain  Yule,  "is 
soft ;  bufc  tough,  fibrous,  and  of  unequal  thickness ; 
only  .fit  for  packing  purposes.  I  am  not  sure  that 
this  is  the  same  paper  which,  agglutinated  into  a  sort 
of  pasteboard,  and  covered  with  a  charcoal  paste,  is 
doubled  into  note-books  and  written  on  with  a  pencil. 
In  this  form  it  resembles  our  school  slates  rather  than 
writing  paper,  the  writing  being  easily  obliterated. 
Yet  this  was  almost  the  only  form  in  which  district 
records  appeared  to  have  been  kept  in  Pegu  when 
that  province  was  taken  by  the  English.  Writing- 
paper,  properly  so  called,  is  not  made  at  all  in  Burma. 
Books  are  written  with  a  style  on  palm-leaves ;  as  for 
the  few  letters  written  in  ink,  English  or  Chinese  pa- 
per is  made  use  of." 


2Gi  THE   WIIITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

I    NARROWLY    ESCAPE    FALLING    INTO    THE    LION'S 

MOUTH. 

So  exciting  had  been  my  adventures  since  leaving 
Rangoon,  that  the  recovery  of  my  father's  property 
— the  main  object  of  my  journey — had  almost  passed 
from  my  thoughts.  It  is  with  shame,  however,  that 
I  confess  I  had  also  forgotten  the  fate  of  my  only 
friend,  Mr.  Johnson  ;  but  that  night  my  conscience 
punished  me  for  my  ingratitude,  for  so  much  did  re- 
gret haunt  my  mind,  that,  notwithstanding  we  were 
lodged  as  comfortably  as  at  any  time  since  leaving 
Rangoon,  the  very  effort  to  sleep  became  painful,  and 
it  was  not  until  daybreak,  and  I  had  soothed  myself 
by  a  resolution  to  urge  the  hunter,  the  next  morning, 
to  depart  at  once,  and  without  any  further  delay,  on 
the  road  to  Yenang-young,  that  I  closed  my  aching 
eyes. 

"The  sahib  has  slept  long,"  said  ISTaon,  when  I 
awoke. 

"  Is  Mikee  ready  to  leave  ?"  I  asked,  not  seeing  the 
hunter  in  the  room. 

"  He  will  not  quit  the  village  till  to-morrow,  sa- 
hib." 

"Then  we  will  go  without  him,  for  we  have  too 
long  delayed  our  journey." 

"At   sundown  yesterday  it  was  not  possible  to 


A   NARROW    ESCAPE.  205 

hasten  our  journey ;  for  boats  glide  not  with  the  fleet- 
ness  of  the  antelope,"  replied  Naon,  smiling  at  the 
impatience  born  of  the  resolution  of  the  night  before, 
and  which  was  still  fresh  in  my  memory. 

"  But  why  should  we  lose  a  day  ?  Where  is 
Mikee  ?" 

"  See,  sahib ;  fortune  favors  us,"  said  he,  opening 
the  door  of  the  hut. 

There,  in  the  road,  to  my  surprise,  I  saw  a  caravan 
of  eighteen  covered  wagons,  to  each  of  which  was 
harnessed  six  bullocks,  and  with  evidently  a  long 
journey  before  it ;  for  in  the  rear  there  was  a  number 
of  the  same  animals  in  readiness  to  replace  those 
which  might  fall  sick  or  lame ;  and  by  the  side  of  one 
of  the  vehicles  stood  Mikee,  in  converse  with  its 
owner. 

"Is  this  caravan  on  its  way  to  Yenang-young ?"  I 
asked,  delighted  with  the  chance  of  our  obtaining  a 
land  conveyance.  But  before  Naon  could  reply,  the 
hunter  came  up  the  ladder  of  the  house,  caught  hold 
of  my  arm,  and  almost  dragged  me  into  the  room. 

"  If  the  colar  would  not  wish  to  be  taken  to  the 
Golden  City  with  his  arms  and  legs  bound,  let  him 
keep  within  this  house,"  said  he. 

"  Who,  then,  are  these  travelers,  that  we  should 
fear  them  ?"  said  I. 

"  A  village  of  people,  who,  by  order  of  the  king, 
are  removing  to  the  mountains  near  the  Golden  City." 

"  But  why  need  we  fear  them  ?" 

"It  is  the  noble  colar  only  who  need  fear  for  the 
people  are  enraged  with  his  countrymen,  who  are  the 


266  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

cause  of  their  being  driven  from  the  homes  of  their 
childhood,  and  will,  if  they  discover  him,  take  his 
life  ;  or  worse,  carry  him  to  the  Golden  City." 

"  Then  it  is  not  possible  for  us  to  journey  with  this 
caravan  ?"  I  replied  with  more  disappointment  than 
joy  at  the  warning  I  had  received. 

"  The  features  of  the  noble  colar  are  not  those  of 
the  Burman ;  it  would  therefore  be  unwise  for  him  to 
expose  them  to  the  multitude,"  replied  Mikee  ;  add- 
ing, "  but  let  him  await  till  the  caravan  is  ready  to 
depart,  when  he  can  enter  a  wagon  unseen  by  all 
but  the  leader,  who,  for  a  few  silver  coins,  has  agreed 
to  take  Mikee  and  his  three  servants  to  Yenamr- 
young." 

At  this  arrangement  I  was  delighted;  for  as  Naon 
Seree,  and  myself  would  travel  in  the  same  wagon 
Avith  Mikee,  as  his  assistants,  not  only  should  we  be 
safe,  but  by  the  overland  route  reach  our  destination 
in  half  the  the  time  it  would  have  taken  by  water. 

That  evening  the  oil-jars  and  guns  were  removed 
by  Mikee,  Naon,  and  Seree  to  the  wagon  appropria- 
ted to  our  use,  and  the  following  morning,  by  day- 
break, we  were  on  the  road,  traveling  at  the  snail's 
pace  of  about  twelve  miles  a  day,  to  the  sounds  of  a 
horrid  screeching,  caused  by  the  want  of  cart-grease. 
As  for  the  freight  of  the  caravan,  it  was  at  the  same 
time  heavy,  cumbersome,  delicate  and  noisy  ;  for  not 
only  was  there  merchandise,  but  whole  families  of 
men,  women  and  children,  besides  a  host  of  monkeys 
cats,  dogs,  and  paroquets,  each  after  his  own  nature 
adding  to  the  general  discord. 


A   NARROW    E8CAPE.  267 

Thus  for  six  days  did  we  travel — and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  village  of  manufacturers  of  the  deity 
Guadama,  where  his  godship  was  to  be  seen  wrought 
in  all  materials,  and  of  all  sizes,  plain  and  gilded,  and 
at  prices  adapted  to  the  pockets  of  all  classes  of 
persons — through  a  swampy  country,  tall  grass,  jun- 
gle, and  forest  trees,  which,  retrospectively,  makes 
our  journey  by  wagon  appear  to  have  been  almost 
miraculous. 

At  sundown  the  chief  of  the  caravan  (who  was 
headman  of  the  village),  having  chosen  a  favorable 
spot,  the  wagons  were  drawn  into  a  circle,  into  which 
were  driven  the  unharnessed  cattle,  in  order  that  by 
the  barricade  formed  by  these  vehicles,  and  the  fires, 
which  also  served  to  dress  our  food,  the  animals  were 
saved  from  the  sudden  inroads  of  the  tigers. 

Now,  as  in  order  to  escape  being  recognised  as  a 
European,  I  had  not  quitted  our  wagon  for  one 
minute,  except  at  night,  the  headman  was  the  only 
one  of  the  villagers  who  was  aware  of  my  existence 
in  the  caravan.  Of  him,  however,  I  soon  became  sus- 
picious, for  on  the  second  night,  when  the  wagons 
had  been  drawn  up  as  I  have  described,  it  appeared 
to  me  rather  singular  that  while  the  chief  tenant  of 
each  took  his  rice  or  other  food  to  the  general  fire  to 
warm,  and  the  son  of  the  headman  performed  the  like 
office  for  the  occupants  of  his  father's  vehicle,  that 
the  latter  personage,  although  of  humble  rank,  was 
still  a  person  of  consideration,  and  in  command 
of  the  whole  party,  should,  not  only  with  his  own 
hands  warm  some  tea,  rice,  and  dress  even  the  for- 


2G8  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

bidden  buffalo  beef,  but  carry  it  to  one  particular 
wagon. 

Indeed,  being  fully  aware  of  the  veneration  every 
Barman  has  for  those  above  him  in  rank  or  place,  and 
the  arrogance  of  every  person  to  those  beneath  him, 
an  arrogance  in  which  I  had  seen  the  headman  was 
not  deficient,  the  circumstance  so  stimulated  my  curi- 
osity, that  at  night,  when  we  lay  in  the  wagon,  I 
said — 

"  Is  it  not  wonderful,  O  Mikee,  that  the  headman 
should  condescend  to  become  the  hand-servant  of  one 
of  his  people  ?" 

"  The  eyes  of  the  noble  colar  are  good,  for  he  has 
seen ;  but  his  brain  is  dull,  or  he  would  have  known 
that  the  headman  performed  those  menial  offices  for 
his  sick  wife." 

"  Nay,  that  is  not  possible,  for  no  Bur-man  waits 
upon  his  wife." 

"  Then  a  sick  son,  or  daughter,  said  he. 

"  It  is  not  so,  O  Mikee  ;  for  the  wagon  to  which 
the  headman  went  so  often,  and  up  the  steps  of 
which  he  crawled  with  such  soft  and  cat-like  steps, 
is  not  that  which  carries  his  family."  - 

"  It  is  true  that  the  colar' s  brains  are  not  dull ;  yet 
for  his  own  safety  it  is  not  wise  that  he  should 
attempt  to  discover  secrets  which  do  not  concern 
him,"  and  having  administered  this  rebuke,  the  hun- 
ter fell  off  to  sleep. 

Although  after  this  reproof  I  did  not  again  venture 
to  question  Mikee,  the  manner  in  which  it  was  given 
— so   unusual   with   the  hunter,    who  had  hitherto 


A   NARROW   ESCAPE.  269 

treated  me  with  the  respect  due  to  superior  rank — 
caused  me  to  keep  my  eyes  and  ears  open.  The  con- 
sequence was,  that  I  made  observations  which  not 
only  kept  my  curiosity  alive,  but  somewhat  aroused 
my  suspicions. 

In  the  first  place,  Mikee  from  that  time  appeared 
to  me  more  thoughtful,  silent,  and  restless;  more- 
over, on  my  look  out  from  the  wagon,  I  saw  him  on 
several  occasions,  in  earnest  conversation  with  the 
headman,  and  with  their  eyes  directed,  and  at  times 
fingers  pointing  to  our  wagon,  as  if,  I  thought,  I  were 
the  subject  of  their  conversation.  Then  again — for 
when  suspicion  is  kindled,  the  slightest  spark  will  fan 
it  into  a  flame — I  noticed  that  he  moved  into  one 
spot,  as  if  to  be  ready  for  sudden  use,  a  stack  of  fire- 
arms and  ammunition,  which  had  been  placed  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  wagon ;  but  whether  the  weapons 
were  to  be  used  for  or  against  me  I  was  puzzled  to 
discover.  In  the  event,  however,  of  treachery  being 
intended,  I  deemed  it  most  prudent  still  to  keep  my 
suspicions  to  myself,  and  watch  narrowly  his  every 
action. 

Thus,  with  the  sword  of  fate  apparently  hanging  over 
me,  or  rather  with  my  mind  steeped  in  suspicion  that 
some  treacherous  attempt  would  be  speedily  made 
upon  my  life  or  liberty,  did  I  pass  the  anxious  hours 
until  the  evening  of  the  sixth  day,  when  the  imagin- 
ary mine  over  which  I  had  been  brooding  exploded 
in  the  following  manner : — 

The  headman  had  brought  us  to  a  halt  upon  a 
grassy  plain,  near  the  skirts  of  a  teak  forest  j  the 


270  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

evening  meal  had  been  prepared  and  eaten ;  and 
the  inhabitants  of  this  locomotive  village,  for  the 
greater  part,  had  sought  their  sleeping  mats.  I  was 
alone  in  the  wagon  ;  for  Naon,  who  had  not  the  same 
motive  for  hiding  from  the  public  gaze,  had  gone 
with  Mikee  and  Seree  to  take  his  share  of  duty  at  the 
watch-fires. 

The  night  was  pitchy  dark  ;  there  was  no  moon, 
and  the  silence  that  reigned  in  the  sleeping  camp  was 
so  deep  that  my  finely-strung  nerves  could  almost 
feel  it,  the  more  so  that  it  was  occasionally  interrupt- 
ed by  the  sudden  movements  of  the  bullocks,  as  the 
deep,  loud  voice  of  a  tiger  was  heard,  as  if — as  doubt- 
less it  was — savagely  growling  at  the  crackling  fire 
which  alone  kept  it  from  the  rare  choice  of  human 
and  animal  food,  which  its  keen  scent  proclaimed  to 
be  awaiting  it  behind  the  roaring,  sparkling,  ascend- 
ing belt  of  flames  which  were  being  kept  alive  by  my 
companions. 

For  some  time  my  thoughts  prevented  slumber  ; 
at  length,  however,  I  did  sleep,  and  began  to  dream 
of  my  past,  my  future,  of  my  cross  old  grandmother, 
of  my  school-days,  my  lost  parents,  and  my  friend 
Mr.  Johnson,  who  it  seemed  appeared  to  me,  telling 
me  he  had  come  to  rescue  me  from  a  great  danger  ; 
caring  but  little  for  his  caution,  I  wept  tears  of  joy 
to  find  him  alive ;  then,  others  of  sorrow  that  I  had 
forgotten  him  even  for  a  day.  Then  I  thought  he 
became  impatient,  and  chiding  me  for  my  folly  in  not 
making  my  escape  while  I  had  the  opportunity, 
caught  hold  of  me,  and  that  with  so  hard  a  grip,  that, 


,       A   NARROW    ESCAPE.  271 

that — well,  I  awoke,  and  found  Naon  tugging  at  my 
arm,  and  whispering,  hoarsely — 

"  Awake,  sahib  ;  awake,  awake !" 

Recognizing  the  half-caste,  and  with  an  instinctive 
knowledge  of  some  danger  being  at  hand,  I  sat  up, 
caught  him  by  the  hands,  and  stupidly  endeavored 
to  peer  through  the  darkness  into  his  face. 

"  Lord  of  heaven,  sahib,  we  are  little  better  than 
dead !" 

"  What !  have  the  tisrers  broken  throuovh.  the  bar- 
riers  ?" 

"  The  most  savage  of  them,  sahib." 

"  Bah  !  you  are  frightened  by  shadows,"  said  I,  in- 
credulously. 

"  It  is  not  so,  sahib.  The  rogue,  Carian,  has  be- 
trayed us." 

"  Tush !  you  are  jealous  of  the  hunter,  Naon." 

"  Let  the  sahib  listen,  and  his  faith  in  this  rogue 
will  become  diminished,"  said  he ;  adding  quickly, 
but  in  whispered  tones,  "  when  we  had  heaped  upon 
the  fires  fuel  sufficient  for  half  the  night,  Mikee  told 
Seree  and  myself  to  sleep  till  he  required  to  be  re- 
lieved from  the  first  watch,  when  he  would  awaken 
one  of  us.  Glad  that  he  had  taken  the  first  hour's 
watch,  I  stretched  myself  before  the  fires.  Seree  did 
likewise.  As,  however,  I  could  not  sleep,  I  turned 
my  eyes  upon  the  hunter,  who  sat  crouching  before 
the  fire,  thoughtfully  gazing  at  the  flames,  as  if  seek- 
ing to  discover  among  them  signs  of  his  future  fortune. 
When,  however,  he  thought  we  were  in  the  land  of 
dreams,  the  hunter  arose  upon  his  feet,  and  having 


272  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

looked  in  every  direction,  as  if  to  see  that  no  strag- 
glers were  near,  he  crept  stealthily  away,  as  I  thought 
to  fetch  from  the  wagon  his  pipe  and  tobacco  ;  but 
no,  passing  onward,  he  stopped  at  the  headman's 
wagon,  and  clapped  his  hands  ;  whereupon  that  per- 
son came  out  of  the  vehicle,  and  together,  they  crept 
softly  along  to  the  empty  wagon,  into  which  they 
entered. 

"  This  being  sufficient  to  excite  not  only  my  curi- 
osity, but  suspicion,  that  treachery  was  intended  to 
some  person,  I  crawled  to  the  wagon  upon  hands 
and  knees,  clambered  upon  one  of  the  wheels, 
and  placing  my  ear  close  to  the  bamboo  covering, 
heard  the  headman  and  Mikee ;  and  what  surprised 
me  more,  another  man,  in  converse  together.  The 
last  person  spoke  in  tones  of  authority  and  command, 
while  the  voices  of  the  other  two  sounded  humble 
and  submissive." 

"  But  what  did  you  hear  ?  what  did  thej  say  ?"  I 
asked,  impatiently. 

"  That  the  sahib  and  his  servant  were  to  be  bound 
in  chains,  and  so  taken  to  the  capital." 

"  Did  the  hunter  say  this  ?" 

"  No,  sahib  ;  the  rascal  said  it  would  be  better  that 
you  should  be  enticed  there,  as  we  are  now  going, 
without  having  any  suspicion  that  you  were  a  pris- 
oner." 

"  The  rascal!"  I  exclaimed,  jumping  upon  my  feet. 

"  Stay,  sahib  ;  you  have  not  heard  all,"  said  JSTaon  . 
adding,  "  to  this,  the  person  whose  voice  I  did  not 
recognise  replied  angrily,  even  threatening  the  hun- 


Mikee  the  Hunter  stealing  away  Page  Trl 


A    NARROW   ESCAPE. 

with  death  if  he  did  not  aid  the  headman  in  se- 
curing your  person." 

"What  said  he  in  reply?" 

"Complied,  sahib;  when  my  curiosity  as  to  who 
this  person  could  be  whose  authority  seemed  to 
terrify  the  headman  as  well  as  Mikee,  was  gratified 
by  a  gleam  of  light  twinkling  through  an  aperture  in 
the  cloth  covering  of  the  roof.  It  was  through  one 
of  the  folds ;  I  removed  it,  and  then,  by  the  glimmer 
of  the  oil-lamp,  I  saw  Mikee  and  the  headman  crouch- 
ing at  the  feet  of  a  man,  the  sight  of  whom,  al- 
though lying  wounded  and  bandaged  upon  a  heap 
of  mats,  made  my  limbs  tremble  and  my  head  so 
dizzy  that  it  was  a  miracle  I  did  not  fall  forward  a- 
mong  the  precious  three.  It  was,  sahib — it  is,  sahib-" 
and,  putting  his  lips  to  my  ear,  he  Avhispered — "the  Ma- 
ha  Silwa." 

And  at  the  sound  of  the  name  of  that  terrible 
general  I  started  as  if  I  had  suddenly  trodden  upon  a 
rattle-snake.  I  however,  recovered  my  self-possession 
when  Xaon  said — 

"  We  must  prepare,  sahib,  for  we  know  not  how 
soon  these  rogues  may  make  their  attempt." 

"What  is  the  use  of  preparation  ?  How  can  we 
defend  ourselves  against    a  whole  village?"  said  I. 

"  For  some  reason,  I  know  not  what,  but  I  dis- 
tinctly made  out  that  they  dare  not  let  the  villagers 
know  of  this  plot  against  us,  and  therefore  it  will  be 
attempted  alone  by  the  headman  and  Mikee." 

Then  we  will  arouse  the  whole  camp,"  said  I. 

"  Not  so,  sahib  :  that  would  be  to  be  torn  to  pieces 
18 


'274  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

bj  a  multitude,  instead  of  a  single  savage ;  for  these 
people,  still  smarting  at  having  been  turned  out  of 
their  homes  by  the  English  troops,  would  sacrifice  us 
upon  the  instant.  ^1 

For  the  moment  I  felt  aghast ;  there  Avas  the  choice 
of  two  evils  before  me ;  to  permit  myself  quietly  to 
be  taken  to  Ava  in  chains,  as  many  of  my  felloAv  Eu- 
ropeans had  been ;  or  by  arousing  the  people,  seek 
an  immediate  death.  Kaon  was  in  favor  of  the  for- 
mer. 

"  I  shall  do  neither,"  said  I,  resolutely. 

"  Truly  we  are  in  the  hands  of  Providence,"  replied 
Kaon. 

"Providence  ever  helps  those  who  help  them- 
selves," said  I,  laying  my  hand  upon  a  hatchet  near 
me  ;  adding,  "  now  let  us  await  the  coming  of  these 
rogues,  and  defend  ourselves  as  best  we  may." 

"It  is  not  wise,  sahib;  the  whole  camp  will  be 
aroused." 

"Will  you  resign  yourself  like  a  coward,  or  is 
it  that  you  are  one  of  the  rogues?"  said  I,  an- 
grily. 

"  The  sahib  is  unjust.  Let  him  remember  that  the 
hunter  may  return  alone  to  await  the  coming  of  the 
headman  ;  and  if  so — " 

"Bravo,  Kaon;  your  plan  is  the  best;  Ave  can 
seize  the  rogue  as  he  enters,  and  tie  his  hands  and 
feet  with  his  own  cords." 

'  True,  sahib,  and  then  make  our  way  through  the 
barrier." 

"  Yes,  yes,  and  risk  the  tigers  rather  than  these 


A  NARROW   ESCAPE.  275 

human  savages,"  said  I;  adding,  "but  now  let  us 
prepare." 

In  another  instant  Ave  were  crouching  in  the  wagon  ; 
I  upon  my  hands  and  breast,  with  my  head  halfway 
out  of  the  vehicle,  watching  the  approach  of  the 
enemy.  It  was  pitchy  dark,  and  I  could  distinguish 
nothing  but  the  sounds  of  footsteps.  That  was 
enough ;  my  indignation  Avas  so  great  that  my  fin- 
gers moved  involuntarily,  as  if  clutching  the  throat 
of  my  enemy. 

The  footsteps  grew  nearer;  they  were  upon  the 
ladder ;  they  had  entered  the  vehicle  ;  and  almost  at 
the  same  moment  the  treacherous  hunter,  gagged  by 
Naon,  who  had  thrown  a  cloth  over  his  head,  lay 
upon  the  floor,  with  his  legs  secured  by  me ;  as  for 
his  arms,  they  were  also  secured  by  Naon. 

"  Thou  vilest  of  ungrateful  rogues ;  attempt  to  ut- 
ter one  word,  and  the  next  instant  is  your  last,"  said 
I,  although  the  caution  was  useless,  for  Xaon  had 
thrust  the  end  of  the  cloth  into  his  mouth. 

So  far  our  movements  had  been  well  planned  and 
cpiickly  executed.  The  next  object  was  to  see  the 
gag  was  so  fixed  that  he  could  not  remove  it,  and 
his  arms  and  legs  made  en  suite,  and  this  would  have 
been  speedily  eifected,  but  suddenly  we  heard  other 
footsteps  upon  the  ladder.  Thinking  them  to  be 
those  of  the  headman,  Ave  arose,  seized  our  hatchets, 
for  Naon  had  been  similarly  armed  to  myself  from 
the  heap  I  have  mentioned  that  Mikee  had  placed 
aside,  Avhen,  imagine  our  consternation  at  seeing,  by 
the  light  of  a  small  torch  he  held  in  his  hand,  not  the 


276  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


headman,  but  Mikee  himself,  and  who  with  that  won- 
derful quickness  exhibited  by  men  whose  lives  have 
been  passed  in  the  midst  of  danger  and  intrigue,  com- 
prehending the  situation,  said,  as  he  entered  the  door- 
way— 

"  Are  the  colars  mad  ?  Do  they  seek  their  own 
destruction?" 

"Thou  rogue  and  villain!  we  will  die  with  our 
weapons  in  our  hands  rather  than  be  betrayed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Maha,"  I  said ;  strangely,  however, 
at  the  same  time,  with  a  flash  of  hope  that-  seeing 
might  not  have  been  believing,  and  that  Mikee  was 
innocent. 

"  The  Maha.  Hush !"  said  the  hunter,  putting  his 
fingers  to  his  lips  to  betoken  silence ;  then  adding,  "  the 
colars  have  been  dreaming.  Seree  and  Mikee  are  here 
to  help  them  to  escape.  Let  them  release  Seree  and 
follow,  or  in  another  hour  they  will  be  in  the  power 
of  him  they  fear." 

I  know  not  why,  whether  it  is  that  I  am  by  na- 
ture unsuspicious,  or  that  my  faith  in  Mikee  had  been 
deeper  than  I  suspected — this,  however,  I  do  know, 
and  I  remember  it  with  astonishment,  that  in  an  in- 
stant my  faith  in  the  hunter  returned,  and  releasing 
Seree,  we  were  ready  to  follow  the  moment  after  the 
words  had  left  his  lips. 

"  Each  take  what  he  can  carry,"  said  Mikee. 

And  snatching  up  my  rifle,  hatchet,  and  bag  of 
ammunition,  Seree  and  Naon  doing  likewise,  we  fol- 
lowed the  hunter,  imitating  his  cat-like  walk,  till  we 
came  to  a  wagon  not  very  far  from  the  empty  vehicle 


A   NARROW    ESCAPE.  2<7 

from  wherein  Naon  had  been  so  much  frightened. 
Creeping  beneath  this,  we  found  the  fire  at  that  point 
half  burned  down;  so  hastily  brushing  through  the 
expiring  flames,  we  were  soon  amidst  the  long  grass, 
which  prevented  the  sounds  of  our  footsteps  being 
heard,  and  on  our  road  to  the  wood.  Once,  however, 
in  the  forest,  we  kept  close  to  each  other  till  we  came 
to  one  immense  tree,  where,  for  safety  from  the  tigers, 
we  clambered  among  its  leafy  branches,  and  there 
awaited  daylight. 


278  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

HIKEE   PROVES   HIMSELF   A   GOOD   JUDGE    OP 
ELEPHANTS. 

At  daybreak,  when  from  the  branch  upon  which 
Kaon  and  myself  were  perched,  Ave  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  the  distant  caravan  on  the  move,  I  really 
felt  much  ashamed  at  having  suspected  of  dishonesty 
the  man  who  had  performed  for  us  such  a  great  ser- 
vice ;  and  vexed  with  myself,  like  many  people  I  have 
known  in  a  similar  position,  I  sought  to  make  ano- 
ther my  scapegoat;  so,  addressing  the  half-caste,  I 
said — 

"  Truly  thou  deservest  to  be  sold  into  slavery  for 
the  rest  of  thy  days,  for  having  charged  our  brave 
and  faithful  friend  with  so  great  a  crime." 

"  That  I  have  eaten  dirt,  sahib,  is  true,  for  the  hun- 
ter has  rescued  us  from  worse  than  death ;  yet  is  it 
also  true  that  thy  servant's  ears  were  not  deceived, 
therefore  must  Kaon  be  a  dog  without  understand- 
ing," replied  the  half-caste  in  so  humble  a  tone,  that 
but  for  his  evident  mystification,  which  was  really 
pitiable,  I  should  have  laughed. 

When,  however,  the  next  minute  we  had  all  de- 
scended from  the  tree,  Mikee,  who  had  heard  our 
conversation  with  his  usual  stoicism  or  generosity, 
relieved  our  shamefacedness. 


MIKEE   A   JUDGE   OF   ELEPHANTS.  270 

"  The  colars,"  said  he,  "  are  not  cats,  that  they  can 
see  in  the  dark,  and  their  eyeballs  are  too  straight 
to  follow  the  bendings  of  crooked  ways  ;  therefore, 
that  they  might  not  endanger  their  own  safety  by 
some  unwise  action,  the  good  Nats  kept  them  in 
ignorance  of  the  means  being  used  for  their  good." 

"  You  are  too  generous,  my  brave  Mikee,  for  we 
were  ungrateful,  and  doubted  your  honesty;  but 
then,"  I  added,  "  you  will  pardon  us  this  time." 

And  so  saying,  I  shook  his  hand  warmly,  an  action, 
the  full  meaning  of  which  nothing  but  my  words  and 
manner  enabled  him  to  comprehend,  and  which  was 
evidently  so  strange  to  him  that  when  his  fingers 
were  relieved  from  my  grip,  he  shook  them  as  a  cat 
does  her  wet  paw,  probably  to  shake  them  back  again 
into  their  natural  form. 

"Then,  making  a  similar  apology  to  Seree,  who 
accepted  it  with  equal  good  humor,  and  having  taken 
a  survey  of  the  property  brought  from  the  caravan, 
which  consisted  of  three  muskets,  my  rifle,  a  bag  of 
ammunition,  and  another  of  rice,  both  of  which  had 
been  thoughtfully  secured  by  Seree,  I  said — 

"  A  small  supply  of  food,  if  our  journey  is  to  be 
long." 

"  Before  yettee  (noon)  we  shall  reach  Tharet,  where 
the  friends  of  Mikee  will  be  made  welcome,"  said  the 
hunter. 

This  was  cheering  news;  and  so,  after  having 
made  a  meal  of  dry  rice  and  honey,  which  we  found 
dripping  from  a  young  bamboo-tree  from  the  comb 
of  some  wild  bees,  and  water  from  a  small  stream 


280  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

scooped  up  with  our  hands,  we  loaded  our  pieces  and 
proceeded  upon  our  tramp  through  the  forest,  keep- 
ing close  together  with  our  fingers  upon  the  triggers, 
ready  to  give  a  royal  salute  to  any  tiger  which  might 
cross  our  path.  And  then  Mikee  related  the  causes 
which  led  to  the  adventure  of  the  previous  night. 

"  The  noble  colar,"  said  the  hunter,  will  be  pleased 
to  be  told  that  at  the  time  when  the  fierce  Maha 
Silwa  was  expected  at  the  Carian  village,  he  had  un- 
expectedly met  with  a  portion  of  the  army  of  the 
rebel  colars  (English),  with  whom,  never  doubting 
that  they  would  fly  from  his  brave  warriors  as  dust 
before  the  wind,  he  fought  a  battle  ;  but  the  Nats,  to 
punish  him  for  his  oppression  of  the  poor,  and  his 
many   cruelties,  willed   that   he   himself  should   be 
severely  wounded,  and  his  whole  army  destroyed  by 
the   enemy.     The   news   of  this  disgraceful    defeat 
reaching  the  commander-in-chief,  the  great  Bandoola, 
that  general  immediately  sent  one  of  his  officers  with 
an  order  to  put  the  Maha  to  death.     The  Nats,  how- 
ever, for  their  own  inscrutable  ends,  sometimes  even 
favor  the  wicked.     Thus,  it  so  happened  that  the  offi- 
cer sent  to  put  the  chief  to  death  being  one  of  his 
own  secret  friends,  managed  to  delay  his  journey  un- 
til a  private  messenger  of  his  own  should  have  given 
information  of  his  coming,  and  its   purport,  to   the 
Maha,  who  no  sooner  received  the  intelligence  than, 
wounded  as  he  was,  by  the  aid  of  one  of  his  slaves, 
he  fled  in  the  night  disguised  like  a  private  soldier  to 
the  house  of  the  headman  of  the  villasre,  which  was 
then,  by  order  of  the  king,  preparing  to  migrate  to- 


MIKEE   A   JUDGE    OF   ELEPHANTS.  281 

ward  the  capital.  This  headman,  knowing  the  Maha 
to  be  a  great  favorite  of  the  Golden  King,  and  ex- 
pecting that  he  would  be  restored  to  his  honors  upon 
his  arrival  at  court,  provided  the  chief  with  a  wagon, 
and  that  too,  unknown  to  the  villagers,  who  then,  as 
even  now,  believe  it  to  be  occupied  by  a  sick  person. 
Thus  secretly  did  he  travel,  cursing  by  night  and  by 
day  the  colars  who  had  been  the  cause  of  his  fall,  and 
consoling  himself  with  the  hope  that  he  might  yet  be 
saved  by  the  king,  upon  whose  mercy  and  friendship 
he  relied.  As  for  ourselves,  when  the  caravan 
reached  the  village  of  papermakers,  I  bargained  with 
the  headman,  who,  for  a  sum  of  silver — which  was 
not  too  plentiful  with  him — readily  agreed  to  convey 
myself  and  three  servants  to  Yenang-young.  And 
thus  we  should  have  reached  that  town  in  safety,  had 
not  the  noble  colar  shown  himself  at  the  door  of  the 
hut." 

"Did  he,  then,  so  soon  recognize  me  to  be  a 
European  ?"  said  I,  with  surprise. 

"  At  once,  and  would  have  given  you  over  to  the 
hatred  of  the  people ;  but  fearing  I  should  not  pay 
him  the  silver,  he  determined  to  await  our  arrival 
at  Yenang-young." 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  he  intended  to  have  seized  me  last 
night  ?" 

"  It  was  so ;  for,  thinking  to  ingratiate  himself  the 
more  with  the  Maha,  he  told  the  chief  that  a  disguis- 
ed European  was  in  the  cavern  ;  when  the  latter, 
believing  that  by  taking  you  to  Ava  in  chains,  his 
chance  of  the  king's  pardon  would  be  the  greater ; 


282  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

moreover,  famishing  for  revenge  upon  one  of  his  ha- 
ted enemies,  and  fearing  the  possibility  of  your  escape 
during  the  journey,  he  commanded  the  headman  to 
seize  you  immediately.  The  latter,  however,  not 
wishing  to  lose  the  whole  of  the  money  I  had  agreed 
to  pay  him,  came  to  me  and  offered  to  give  up  one- 
half  if  I  would  help  to  bind  you  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  villagers ;  to  which,  that  dust  might  be 
thrown  in  his  eyes,  I  agreed.  Whereupon,  believing 
thy  servant  to  be  as  great  a  rogue  as  himself,  he  led 
me  into  the  wagon,  and,  to  my  surprise,  before  the 
Maha,  who,  addressing  me,  said — 

"  The  worthy  headman  has  said  that  the  Carian  is 
faithful  to  the  Golden  Foot,  and  has  promised  to  se- 
cure the  person  of  the  dog  of  a  rebel  whom  he  has 
enticed  into  our  power." 

"  The  words  of  the  headman  are  those  of  truth,  O 
mighty  praw,"  was  all  that  thy  servant  could  reply ; 
but  the  savage  eyes  of  the  chief  brightened  as  he 
said — 

"  If  this  thing  be  done  well,  and  the  faithful  Carian 
can  bind  this  dog  hand  and  foot,  and  place  a  gag  in 
his  mouth  so  that  the  people  of  the  caravan  may  not 
become  aroused,  and  in  their  hatred  rob  us  of  our 
prey,  and  the  colar  is  carried  to  the  Golden  City, 
great  shall  be  his  reward." 

"  My  heart  was  consuming  with  indignation,  but  I 
replied,  'This  thing  shall  be  done,  O  great  praw.'" 

"That  was  to  falsify  thyself,  O  Mikee,"  said  I, 
interrupting  him. 

"  It  was  the  act  of  a  coward,  but  then  the  bravest 


A   NARROW   ESCAPE.  283 

warrior  could  not  otherwise  have  saved  the  liberty 
of  the  noble  colar,"  replied  the  hunter ;  adding,  "  but 
to  throw  dust  in  the  eyes  of  the  Maha,  and  gain  time, 
I  begged  that,  as  the  night  was  so  far  advanced,  and 
the  people  might  become  aroused  by  thy  cries,  it 
would  be  better  to  postpone  the  seizure  till  the  fol- 
lowing night.  Fortunately,  the  chief  agreed;  so 
losing  no  time,  I  awakened  Seree,  and  sent  him  to 
warn  and  prepare  you  for  immediate  departure.  The 
rest  is  known  to  the  noble  colar." 

"  Yet  must  you  long  have  suspected  that  treachery 
was  intended,  or  wThy  didst  thou  so  artfully  place  the 
muskets,  ammunition  and  rice,  that  they  might  be 
ready  on  the  instant  ?" 

"  The  wise  hunter  prepares  for  every  chance  ;  yet, 
although  thy  servant  did  suspect  treachery,  he 
thought  it  unwise  to  endanger  thy  safety  by  breaking 
silence." 

"  Your  conduct  has  indeed  been  noble,  brave,  and 
generous,  O  Mikee." 

"  Truly,  the  hunter  is  all  that  the  sahib  says ;  and 
it  is  to  be  regretted  he  will  lose  his  oil-jars,"  said 
Naon,  evidently  pleased  that  I  had  left  him  some- 
thing to  say  by  which  he  could  show  his  sympathy 
with  the  hunter. 

"  Psha,  Naon  !  these  can  be  easily  replaced,"  said 
I,  vexed  at  the  matter-of-fact  manner  of  the  half- 
caste. 

"  We  had  now  reached  a  part  of  the  forest  upon 
which  the  elements  during  the  recent  rains  seemed — 
at  least  so  I  then  thought — to  have  spent  their  fury, 


284:  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

for  trees  were  lying  about  in  all  directions  with  tlieir 
branches  broken,  and  bespattered  with  clayey  mud. 
But  what  appeared  to  me  as  remarkable  was  the  soil 
itself,  which  was  indented  with  holes  as  far  as  the 
clearing  extended. 

As,  while  approaching  this  spot,  Mikee  had  been 
relating  the  over-night's  adventures,  he  had  not  ob- 
served these  queer  indents ;  suddenly,  however,  when 
he  observed  them,  with  an  exclamation  of  joy  he  ran 
forward,  gazed  around,  fell  upon  his  knees  and  began 
a  minute  examination  of  several  of  the  impressions, 
which  lasted  at  least  five  minutes,  when  seeming  sat- 
isfied, he  arose,  and  clutching  my  arm,  said — 

"  Guadama  be  praised.  It  is  in  this  forest  that  the 
Nats  will  bestow  fortune  upon  Mikee." 

"  Truly  the  brave  hunter  must  have  hit  upon  a 
gold  or  ruby  mine  that  he  is  so  happy,"  said  Naon. 

"  Is  this  so  ?"  I  asked,  for  I  knew  that  both  gold 
and  rubies  in  abundance  were  to  be  found  in 
Burma. 

"  Truly  it  is  not  only  a  mine  of  gold,  but  a  foun- 
tain of  honor,  for  these  are  the  foot-prints  of  a 
herd." 

"  Of  a  herd  of  what  ? — elephants  ?"  I  asked,  with  a 
laugh. 

"  The  noble  colar  says  truly.  A  large  herd  is  at 
hand  ;  it  has  been  here  during  the  night.  See  those 
broken  trees ;  they  were  thrown  down  by  the  ani- 
mals ;"  and  with  a  fidelity  of  detail  that  at  the  time 
astonished  me,  he  named  the  number,  size,  and  even 
the  height  of  the  beasts ;  adding  in  a  tremulous  whis- 


A   NARROW    ESCAPE.  285 

per,  "  and  among  them,  O  colar,  perhaps  the  celestial 
beast  whom  the  holy  Brahmin  has  promised  Mikee  it 
shall  be  his  fortune  to  reveal  to  the  world." 

"  Naon,  however,  who  was  not  by  any  means 
equally  delighted  at  being  in  the  proximity  of  a  herd 
of  wild  elejmants,  and  whose  eyes  had  lighted  upon 
an  object  that  better  pleased  him,  said — 

"  See  those  houses  on  yonder  hill ;  surely  we  must 
be  near  the  village  of  Tharet." 

"  Thy  words  are  those  of  a  prophet ;  it  is  Tharet ; 
Let  us  hasten,  that  we  may  be  the  first  to  warn  the 
people  that  the  elephants  are  near  their  rice-fields," 
said  Mikee ;  adding,  "  and,  moreover,  where  the  at- 
tendant of  the  noble  colar  may  hide  in  peace,  for 
truly  he  prefers  the  town  to  the  woods. 

"  The  beasts  are  made  for  the  wilds,  and  men  for 
the  town,"  replied  Naon  sullenly. 

"  Or  the  towns  for  men,  ISTaon,"  said  I,  laughing. 

And  we  hastened  onward,  the  half-caste  in  sullen 
silence,  Mikee  pondering  upon  his  probable  good  for- 
tune, and  I  upon  the  confidence  with  which  the  hunter 
had  described  with  an  appearance  of  accuracy  the 
size  and  height  of  animals  from  their  foot-prints  alone ; 
and  which  seemed  to  me  to  be  about  as  reasonable  as  to 
judge  of  a  house  by  a  single  brick.  I  was,  however, 
then  ignorant  of  a  fact  which,  since  that  time,  has 
been  related  by  Lieutenant  de  Batts,  who,  in  his 
"  Rambles  in  Ceylon,"  tells  us — 

"  After  heavy  rains,  the  track  of  these  herds  is  easily 
detected  by  the  impressions  of  their  feet  on  the  soft 
clay.     Some  of  the  natives  evince  considerable  saga- 


286  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

city  hi  immediately  discovering  the  least  vestige  of 
the  foot-print  of  an  elephant.  From  the  most  trifling 
marks  they  can  confidently  state  the  number;  and 
what  appears  still  more  extraordinary,  the  size  of  the 
elephants  composing  the  herd.  The  secret  of  tins 
last  discovery  consists  in  the  anatomical  fact  that 
twice  the  circumference  of  an  elephant's  foot  is  ex- 
actly equal  to  its  greatest  height,  measuring  from  the 
fore-foot  to  the  point  that  corresponds  with  the 
withers  of  a  horse.  By  long  practice  and  perfect  ac- 
quaintance with  the  formation  of  the  foot  of  the  ani- 
mal, the  most  expert  native  huntsmen  can,  by  closely 
examining  even  a  small  section  of  the  impression 
that  it  leaves,  calculate  its  height,  and  nearly  approxi- 
mate to  the  truth." 

Near  as  Tharet  had  appeai-ed  to  Naon,  we  were 
two  hours  before  we  reached  even  the  fields  of  rice- 
sugar-canes,  and  plantains  by  which  it  was  sur- 
rounded. Then  the  tramp  through  these  fields,  for 
the  greater  part  under  water,  rendered  our  journey  so 
toilsome  that  it  was  near  sundown  when  we  arrived 
at  the  village  itself. 

Observing,  however,  before  we  entered  the  gates, 
several  structures  that  were  new  to  me — that  is  small 
boxes  made  of  bamboo  raised  from  the  ground  a 
height  of  at  least  fourteen  feet,  and  erected  not  only 
near  Tharet,  but  at  intervals  for  miles  along  the  flat 
country — I  said — 

"Surely  these  are  places  of  observation  from 
which  the  learned  study  the  wonders  of  the 
heavens  ?" 


A   NARROW   ESCAPE.  287 

"Can  the  noble  colar  be  ignorant  that  they  are 
the  stations  from  whence,  in  safety  from  tigers,  the 
farmers  watch,  and  alarm  the  elephants  which  some- 
times in  a  single  night  tread  down  a  whole  harvest  ?" 
said  Mikee. 

But  how  is  it  possible  that  the  farmers  can  arrest 
the  inroads  of  a  herd  of  such  formidable  animals  ?"  I 
asked. 

"  Each  watchman  is  provided  with  a  rattle,  which, 
upon  the  first  approach  of  a  herd,  he  springs,  and  this 
signal,  passing  from  station  to  station,  there  arises 
such  a  clattering  of  rattles  and  shouting  of  voices, 
that  the  beasts  become  scared,  and,  if  not  famishing 
with  hunger,  retire  back  to  the  woods." 

"But,"  said  I,  is  it  possible  that  a  herd  of 
elephants  can  be  frightened  away  by  a  trumpery 
noise  ?" 

"  Yes,  for  noises  are  disagreeable  to  them ;  yet, 
sometimes,  when  enraged,  hi  defiance  of  all,  the 
males  will  advance  upon  the  villages,  overturn  the 
houses,  and  kill  all  who  come  in  their  way.  This, 
however,  can  only  occur  when  the  people  omit  to 
light  up  a  line  of  fire ;  for  so  fearful  are  the  animals  of 
that  element,  that  a  few  lighted  wisps  of  straw  or 
dried  grass  will  invariably  stop  their  progress." 

"But  at  present  these  watch-towers  are  unten- 
anted ;  neither  does  there  appear  to  be  any  prepara- 
tion for  the  fires,"  said  I. 

"  The  season  (for  it  is  only  when  the  crops  are 
nearly  ready  for  gathering,  and  the  swamps  and 
marshes  caused  by  the  rains  have  become  lessened, 


288  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

that  the  elephants  make  these  inroads)  is  not  suffi- 
ciently advanced,  and  the  people  of  Tharet  at  present 
know  not  their  danger. 

"Then,  Mikee,  let  us  hasten  forward  and  warn 
them  that  a  herd  is  within  a  few  miles  of  their  crops, 
that  they  may  be  prepared  with  their  watch-fires  and 
rattles,"  said  I. 

"  The  heart  of  the  noble  colar  is  generous,  and  his 
words  good,"  he  replied. 

And  shortly  afterward  we  entered  the  village, 
which  consisted  of  the  usual  kind  of  pigeon-house 
huts,  pagodas,  and  a  small  kioum  or  monastery — a 
building  which  served  the  double  purpose  of  a  resi- 
dence for  the  priests  and  a  school-house  for  the  chil- 
dren of  the  inhabitants,  for  in  the  Burman  monas- 
teries, as  in  those  of  Europe  in  the  Middle  Ages,  the 
children  receive  their  education ;  and,  remarkable  for 
a  country  where  the  gradations  of  rank  are  ob- 
served with  such  cruel  rigor,  the  children,  those 
alike  of  the  greatest  nobles  and  the  meanest  peasants, 
are  educated  at  the  same  time,  beneath  the  same  roof, 
and  by  the  same  masters — the  priests. 


WILD   ELEPHANTS.  289 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A   HERD   OF   WILD  ELEPHANTS. 

As  Mikee  had  promised,  not  only  were  we  warmly 
welcomed  by  the  villagers  of  Tharet,  but  at  once 
conducted  to  the  house  of  the  headman,  who,  being 
a  relative  of  the  hunter,  lost  no  time  in  placing  before 
us  the  best  viands  the  village  afforded  ;  and  of  which, 
after  our  toilsome  journey,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  say 
we  made  a  hearty  meal. 

"  Has  the  brave  Mikee  heard  the  news  of  the  rebels 
who  are  invading  the  soil  of  the  Golden  King,"  said 
the  headman. 

"  The  Nats  are  angered,  for  they  have  permitted 
the  rebels  to  destroy  the  Maha  Silwa's  army,"  was 
the  reply. 

"That  is  true,  but  the  Bandoola  has  sent  to  the 
Golden  City  for  the  Nat-Kadau,  who  will  drive  them 
into  the  sea,"  said  the  headman. 

But  Mikee,  probably  for  my  sake,  not  wishing  the 
conversation  to  take  so  awkward  a  turn,  pretended 
to  be  too  much  engaged  in  satisfying  his  appetite  to 
reply.  So,  while  he  is  finishing  his  meal,  I  will  re- 
late to  you  an  anecdote  about  these  wonderful  Nat- 
Kadau,  which  will  afford  a  curious  specimen  of  the 
cruelty  and  superstition  of  the  Burmese  and  their 
government. 
10 


290  THE   WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

When  the  government  found  that  notwithstanding 
all  their  efforts,  they  were  unable  to  make  head 
against  the  English  invaders,  they  had  recourse  to 
magic ;  and  among  the  projects  of  this  nature,  sent 
down  to  their  army  all  the  women  who  had  the  repu- 
tation of  having  a  familiar  spirit,  in  order  to  put  a 
spell  on  the  foreigners,  and,  as  it  was  said,  unman 
them. 

These  females,  who  rather  labor  under  some  men- 
tal derangement  than  are  impostors,  are  called  by 
the  Burmans  Nat-Kadau,  or  female  Nats.  They  pro- 
fess to  hold  intercourse  with  the  demi-gods,  and  to 
be  inspired  by  them  with  supernatural  powers. 
"The  presence  of  such  persons,"  says  a  British  offi- 
cer, "  was  well  known  to  our  army ;  indeed,  after 
one  battle,  a  young  girl  of  fifteen  years  of  age  was 
found  dressed  in  male  attire.  As  soon  as  her  sex  was 
recognised,  great  attention  was  paid  to  her,  but  she 
soon  expired  from  the  wounds  which  she  had  re- 
ceived in  her  head  and  neck." 

When  Mikee  had  concluded  his  meal,  he  arose, 
saying — 

"  May  the  crops  of  my  worthy  relative  yield  him 
an  abundant  harvest." 

"  Telakien  is  not  ungrateful  for  the  prayer  of  the 
brave  Mikee.  The  Nats  are  pleased  with  the  people 
of  Tharet,  for  the  harvest  promises  to  be  plentiful," 
replied  the  headman. 

"  Yet,  although  the  Nats  are  beneficent,  and  the 
season  is  approaching  wdieivthe  ponderous  foot  of 
the  wild  elephant  may  deprive  his  people  of  their 


WILD   ELEPHANTS.  291 

food,  my  worthy  relative  is  not  prudent,  for  he  per- 
mits the  night  to  find  his  watch-towers  unmanned, 
and  his  alarm-fires  unlighted,"  said  Mikee,  thinking 
thereby  to  soften  down  news  the  disclosure  of  which 
he  anticipated  would  fall  upon  his  relative  with  the 
alarm  of  a  sixty-four  pound  shot  in  the  midst  of  a 
Quakers'  meeting. 

Great,  however,  was  the  hunter's  surprise,  when 

the  headman  replied — 

"Is  it,  then,  because  Mikee  is  brave  and  keen- 
sighted  that  the  people  of  Tharet  are  blind  ?  ISTo  this 
thing  is  not ;  for  they  have  discovered  a  herd  of  wild 
elephants  in  the  forest  to  the  east  of  Tharet." 

"  If  this  be  as  my  worthy  relative  says,  how  is  it 
possible  that  he  has  not  prepared  his  watchmen  and 
his  fires  ?  For  the  elephant  gives  no  warning  of  its 
approach  to  the  crops  of  the  villagers,"  said  Mikee. 

"  Truly,  neither  will  be  necessary,  for  the  hunters 
of  the  Golden  King  are  even  now  preparing  to  en- 
compass the  jungle,"  said  Telakien. 

"  If  my  relative's  words  are  true,  then  are  the 
hopes  and  fortunes  of  Mikee  broken  like  a  tree  in  a 
wind-storm,"  replied  the  hunter,  chopfallen  that  the 
discovery  of  the  herd  had  been  made  by  others. 

"  This  thing  cannot  be,  O  Mikee,  for  although  thou 
art  so  humble,  the  hunters  of  the  Golden  King  value 
thy  aid  alone  as  equal  with  that  of  the  whole  people 
of  Tharet,"  replied  the  headman. 

"  It  pleases  the  worthy  Telakien  to  pour  sweet 
words  into  the  ears  of  his  relative,  but  will  he  say 
when  the  people  of  Tharet  will  join  the  hunters  of 


292  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

the  Golden  King?"  said  Mikee,  his  great  dark  eyes 
now  flashing  with  delight. 

"  Before  the  sun  next  rises  in  the  heavens,"  re- 
plied Telakien. 

"  Then  is  it  necessary  we  should  at  once  seek  to 
refresh  ourselves  with  sleep,  for  Mikee  would  not  be 
the  last  to  arrive  at  the  kedclah,"  replied  the  hunter, 
there  and  then  stretching  himself  upon  a  mat ;  when, 
as  if  sleep  were  at  his  instantaneous  command — as, 
indeed,  I  have  known  it  to  be  with  one  or  two  per- 
sons— he  gave  us  nasal  proof  of  the  soundness  of  his 
slumber. 

I  endeavored  to  follow  his  example,  but  for  some 
time  Naon  kept  me  awake  by  reminding  me  of  my 
resolution,  and  urging  me  to -let  Mikee  proceed  to 
the  hunt  alone,  and  so  journey  onward  by  ourselves 
to  Yenang-young. 

"  What !"  I  exclaimed,  "  lose  the  hunt !  No,  no, 
Naon ;  the  catching  of  a  herd  of  elephants  is  not  a 
sight  to  be  often  witnessed  by  a  European,  so  I  for 
one  will  not  miss  the  opportunity." 

And  with  this  determination  I  at  length  fell  asleep. 

The  next  morning  we  arose  with  the  sun,  yet  not 
before  the  people  of  the  village,  some  two  hundred 
of  whom  were  in  readiness  to  start,  and  prepared 
with  a  plentiful  supply  of  food,  cooking  utensils,  fuel 
rattles,  and  tom-toms.  Mikee,  who  was  full  of  spirits, 
and,  moreover,  seemed  to  be  a  popular  person  among 
the  people,  joined  the  headman  in  taking  the  lead ; 
and  thus,  in  a  kind  of  methodical  disorder,  we  march- 
ed for  seven  miles,   stopping,   however,   at  several 


WILD   ELEPHANTS.  293 

villages  in  our  way  for  reinforcements  ;  which,  with, 
the  people  of  Tharet,  the  professional  hunters  and 
their  assistants,  whom  we  found  upon  the  outskirts  of 
the  immense  jungle,  swelled  our  numbers  to  rather 
more  than  five  hundred. 

Now,  as  this  expedition  lasted  ten  days,  and  the 
operations  of  the  party  extended  over  a  space  as  large 
as  a  battle-field,  it  was  as  impossible  for  me  to  be  an 
eye-witness  of  every  incident  that  happened,  as  for 
an  individual  soldier  to  witness  the  multifarious 
events  of  a  great  military  conflict ;  therefore,  rather 
as  the  general  who  may  view  the  whole  from  an  em- 
inence, than  the  individual  hunter,  will  I  endeavor 
to  describe  the  scene. 

The  operations  took  place  in  an  immense  jungle, 
where  the  elephants  had  been  discovered  feeding. 
The  herd  consisted  of  thirty ;  and  the  first  operation 
was  to  surround  the  animals  at  a  great  distance,  yet 
so  that  they  should  be  in  ignorance  of  our  presence ; 
which  was  done  after  the  following  manner  : — 

First,  the  Avhole  body  of  hunters  were  divided  into 
parties  of  three,  called  chokeys,  that  is,  one  mahote, 
or  trained  elephant-driver,  and  two  assistants.  These 
chokeys  being  stationed  about  twenty  yards  from 
each  other,  encircled  the  jungle ;  then  each  chokey 
lighted  a  fire,  and  cleared  away  thetall  cane  or  brush- 
wood between  its  own  and  the  next  station,  so  as  to 
form  a  path  of  communication  throughout  the  first 
circle,  which,  you  must  remember,  is  called  the  daw- 
kee.  This  dawkee  being  formed,  the  remaining  part 
of  the  day  and  succeeding  night  was  occupied  in  keep- 


294  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

ing  watch  and  cooking  the  food,  so  as  to  he  ready 
for  immediate  use. 

Early  the  next  morning,  a  man  was  detached  from 
each  chokey,  so  as  to  form  a  second  circle  that  would 
touch  the  first  at  the  section  nearest  to  the  forest 
which  the  jungle  skirted,  and  from  which  the  animals 
had  advanced.  The  men  at  the  points  where  the  two 
circles  touched,  then  extinguished  their  fires  and  filed 
off  to  the  right,  in  order  to  leave  an  opening  through 
which  the  herd  might  he  frightened  into  the  dawkee, 
or  rather  one  end  of  an  oblong,  for  into  that  figure 
the  two  broken  circles  had  become  formed. 

Then  the  sport  commenced  by  the  people  of  the 
dawkee  keeping  up  such  a  clattering  noise  with  their 
rattles  and  tom-toms  that  the  alarmed  herd — to  whom 
the  men,  being  hidden  by  the  jungle  and  long  grass, 
were  invisible — ran  from  side  to  side ;  but  meeting 
with  the  same  noise,  at  length,  for  the  sake  of  peace 
and  cpiietness,  advanced  into  the  new  circle,  the  open- 
ing of  which  was  then  closed  up  by  the  men,  who 
immediately  stationed  themselves  as  before  in  parties 
lighted  their  fires,  and  so  ended  the  second  day. 

The  third  day  the  same  noise  was  made,  but  the 
herd,  feeding  as  it  went  along  upon  branches  of  trees 
and  leaves  of  bamboo,  seemed  to  suspect  the  pres- 
ence of  its  numerous  but  concealed  enemies ;  still  in 
terror  of  the  fires  which  were  now  kept  blazing  in 
every  direction  (that  the  animals  might  be  kept  :n 
the  middle),  they  at  length,  as  if  pestered  beyond  all 
endurance  at  the  incessant  clattering,  advanced  toward 
the  keddah  or  place  where  they  Avere  to  be  secured. 


WILD    ELEPHANTS.  295 

The  keddah  consists  of  three  enclosures  com- 
municating with  each  other  by  narrow  gateways. 
The  outer  enclosure,  or  baigcote,  where  the  ele- 
phants are  to  enter,  is  the  largest ;  the  middle 
one,  or  doobraye,  is  the  next  in  size ;  and  the 
third,  or  rajecote,  is  the  smallest.  These  enclo- 
sures are  formed  by  a  deep  ditch  on  the  inner 
side,  the  bank  of  earth  thrown  up  by  the  exca- 
vation being  planted  with  a  strong  palisading  of 
thick  trees,  strengthened  by  cross  bars,  and  support- 
ed by  buttresses,  which  are  sunk  in  the  earth.  In 
the  third,  or  furthermost  of  these  enclosures,  the 
elephants  are  kept  six  days,  where  they  are  regularly, 
though  scantily,  fed  from  a  scaffold  on  the  outer 
side,  close  to  the  entrance  of  an  outlet  called  the 
romee,  which  is  about  sixty  feet  long,  and  purposely 
so  narrow  that  the  animals  can  only  be  taken  out 
one  by  one. 

On  the  night  of  the  third  day  we  were  awakened 
by  an  alarm  that  the  elephants  were  advancing 
toward  the  chokeys ;  the  fires,  however,  being  re- 
plenished with  green  bamboos,  set  up  such  a  blaze 
and  crackling,  together  with  the  clattering  of  tom- 
toms and  rattles,  and  the  firing  of  blank-cartridge, 
that  the  astonished  elephants  not  only  retired  to  the 
centre  of  the  jungle,  but  advanced  toward  the  baig- 
cote, or  entrance  of  the  first  enclosure  of  the  keddah. 
Further,  however,  than  the  entrance  they  did  not 
advance  that  night. 

The  next  day  we  still  found  the  elephants  at,  not 
within  the  enclosure.     The  palmai,  or  leader  of  the 


296  THE   WHITE   ELEPHAXT. 

herd,  evidently  had  a  suspicion  that  all  was  not  right, 
for  she  walked  backward  and  forward,  eating  as 
she  went,  and  followed  by  the  whole  of  the  others, 
who  seemed  quite  contented  to  remain  where  they 
were.  Then  came  another  hurricane  of  noises,  and 
before  nioht  the  beasts  had  entered  the  first  en- 
closure  of  the  keddah,  which  was  immediately  bar- 
ricaded by  a  great  fire,  so  that  they  could  not  re- 
turn. 

The  next  object  being  to  get  the  beasts  into  the 
doobraye,  or  enclosure  Number  2,  the  whole  party 
entered  the  baigcote,  filing  off  to  the  right  and  left, 
so  as  to  surround  them  at  all  points  but  the  entrance 
to  the  doobraye,  set  light  to  a  circle  of  fuel,  and  then 
began  to  create  a  terrible  din  and  fire  blank  car- 
tridges. This  had  the  desired  effect,  for  the  startled 
elephants  turned  from  their  grazing  and  looked 
toward  the  forest,  as  if  with  a  notion  of  escape ; 
but  finding  fires  upon  every  side  except  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  next  enclosure,  the  palmai  or  leader, 
after  some  time  spent  in  a  suspicious  examination  of 
the  gateway,  passed  within,  and  was,  as  usual,  follow- 
ed immediately  by  her  docile  tribe. 

The  following  day  the  same  means  were  taken  to 
force  the  animals  within  the  third  enclosure,  or  raje- 
cote,  and  with  the  same  success.  But  then  finding 
themselves  again  surrounded,  in  a  smaller  space,  and 
with  no  outlet  whatever,  they  seemed  at  once  to 
comprehend  that  they  had  been  entrapped,  and  be- 
coming desperately  enraged,  advanced  to  the  ditch 
which  surrounded  the  enclosure,  screaming  and  bel- 


WILD    ELEPHANTS.  207 

lowing  terrifically,  and  by  inflating  their  trunks,  and 
lifting  them  in  the  air,  endeavored  to  break  down 
the  palisading.  At  every  point,  however,  to  which 
they  advanced,  they  were  met  by  fires  and  loud 
noises  ;  by  which  means,  being  driven  back,  they  had 
recourse  to  the  water  in  the  ditch,  with  which  they 
refreshed  themselves  by  sucking  it  up  into  their 
trunks  and  then  squirting  it  over  every  part  of  their 
bodies.  After  this  operation,  they  withdrew  to  the 
middle  of  the  enclosure,  there  to  meditate  upon  their 
means  of  escape.  The  hunters,  however,  having 
succeeded  into  getting  them  in  the  third  enclosure, 
immediately  began  to  build  huts  and  form  a  kind  of 
encampment  around,  close  to  the  palisades,  and  to 
place  watchmen  at  every  point  to  prevent  them  from 
breaking  through. 

Thus  for  four  days  were  the  elephants  left  to  re- 
cover their  temper.  Upon  the  fifth,  the  door  of  the 
romee,  or  narrow  passage  leading  from  the  small  and 
last  enclosure  was  opened,  and  one  of  the  animals  en- 
ticed to  enter  by  a  mahote,  who  threw  just  before 
its  trunk,  and  then  further  within  the  romee,  until 
the  beast  had  advanced  within  the  passage  which 
was  too  narrow  for  him  to  turn  in,  some  sugar-canes ; 
and  having  once  passed  the  gateway,  the  door  was 
instantly  shut  and  secured  by  throwing  across  each 
other  two  bars  that  stood  perpendicularly  on  each 
side,  the  noise  of  which  made  the  elephant  suspicious, 
and  so  endeavor  to  retreat ;  but  finding  the  gate 
closed,  he  screamed  fearfully,  and  repeatedly  ran 
against  the  bars  with  the  force  of  a  battering-ram, 


298  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

till,  becoming  convinced  that  that  means  of  escape 
was  useless,  he  arose  and  leaped  upon  the  bars  with 
his  fore-feet,  in  order  to  break  them  down  by  sheer 
force  of  weight;  and  so  he  continued  these  efforts  till 
obliged  to  desist  from  mere  fatigue. 

"While  the  beast  was  making  these  efforts,  the 
hunters  placed  strong  ropes  with  running  nooses  at 
the  outlet  of  the  romee ;  into  one  of  which,  as  he  en- 
deavored to  make  his  escape,  the  elephant  put  his 
feet,  when  it  was  immediately  drawn  tight  and 
fastened  to  the  palisades.  His  feet  having  been 
made  fast,  two  men  placed  heavy  bars  across  the 
romee,  between  themselves  and  the  elephant,  to 
prevent  his  kicking,  and  by  that  means  tied  his  hind- 
legs  together,  passing  a  cord,  the  noose  of  which 
was  formed  like  the  figure  8,  alternately  from  the 
one  to  the  other.  Then,  while  others  were  engaged 
in  artfully  throwing  cables  around  his  neck  and  body, 
another  party  stood  upon  the  outside  of  the  palisades 
endeavoring  to  divert  his  attention  with  plantain 
leaves,  sugar-canes,  and  by  playing  with  his  pro- 
boscis. 

When  the  whole  apparatus  of  ropes  was  properly 
prepared,  the  ends  of  those  which  were  around  his 
neck  were  brought  forward  to  the  end  of  the  romee, 
and  made  fast  to  two  koomkees,  or  female  elephants, 
trained  for  the  purpose ;  the  door  at  the  end  of  the 
outlet  was  opened,  and  the  passage  left  clear ;  the 
ropes  tied  to  the  palisades  were  loosened,  and  the 
beast — by  dint  of  the  gentle  pulling  of  the  two 
females,  long  poles  sharpened  at  the  ends,  and  another 


"WILD   ELEPHANTS.  -00 

hurricane  of  noises — was  made  to  advance  till  he  had 
cleared  the  romee,  when  his  conductors  separated ; 
so  that,  if  he  attempted  to  go  to  one  side  he  would 
have  been  prevented  by  that  pulled  in  the  opposite 
direction,  and  vice  versa. 

It  was  curious,  also,  to  watch  the  sagacity  of  these 
conductors ;  for  when  the  captive  elephant  grew  ob- 
stinate, and  would  lie  down,  one  of  them  would  put 
her  snout  under  and  raise  him  upward,  supporting, 
him  on  her  knees ;  and  with  her  head  push  him  for- 
ward with  all  her  strength,  while  the  hunters  as- 
sisted, by  goading  and  urging  the  animal  forward  by 
their  noises. 

Such  were  the  means  by  which  the  larger  beasts 
of  the  herd  were  secured.  In  conducting,  however, 
the  smaller  elephants  from  the  romee,  only  one  cable 
and  one  koomkee,  or  female  elephant  was  used.  As 
soon  as  the  small  elephant  was  secured  by  the  ropes 
he  was  left  in  charge  of  a  mahote,  or  keepei-,  and  two 
assistants,  in  order  to  supply  food  and  water  till  ho 
became  so  tractable  as  to  feed  himself. 

These  men  erected  a  small  hut  immediately  before 
the  elephant,  constantly  soothing,  caressing,  and  sup- 
plying him  with  food ;  sometimes,  indeed,  threaten- 
ing, or  goading  the  animal  with  an  iron-pointed  stick  ; 
but  more  generally  coaxing  him  by  scratching  his 
head  and  trunk  with  a  long  bamboo,  split  at  one  end 
into  many  pieces,  and  driving  away  the  flies  from 
any  sores  that  had  been  occasioned  by  his  efforts  to 
escape  from  the  romee  upon  the  first  shutting  up  of 
the  gates,  which  are  not  unfrequent,  as,  although  the 


300  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

elephant  is  large  and  powerful,  its  skin  is  so  soft  and 
sensitive  that  it  is  more  easily  pierced  than  that  of 
smaller  creatures. 

The  mahote,  moreover,  keeps  the  elephant  cool  by 
squirting  water  over  it ;  taking  care,  however,  to 
stand  a  good  distance  from  its  trunk.  By  these  means 
the  disposition  of  the  animal  becomes  so  tame,  that 
in  a  few  days  the  man  advances  cautiously  to  his  side, 
and  strokes  and  pats  him  with  his  hand,  speaking  in 
a  soothing  tone  of  voice,  till  the  elephant,  beginning 
to  know  his  keeper,  obeys  his  commands.  By  these 
means  the  mahote  at  length  becomes  on  sufficiently 
familiar  terms  with  him  to  get  upon  his  back  from 
the  koomkee. 

While  they  are  training  in  this  manner,  the  tame 
elephants  lead  out  the  others  in  turn,  for  the  sake  of 
exercise,  and  likewise  to  case  their  legs  from  the 
cords  with  which  they  are  bound.  Thus,  in  a  few 
weeks,  the  animal  becomes  so  obedient  to  his  keeper 
that  his  fetters  are  removed,  and  in  five  or  six  months 
suffers  himself  to  be  conducted  by  the  mahote  from 
one  place  to  another;  but  care  is  taken  not  to  let 
him  approach  his  former  haunts,  lest  it  should  induce 
him  to  attempt  the  recovery  of  his  liberty. 

The  obedience  of  the  elephant  to  his  conductor 
seems  partly  to  proceed  from  a  sense  of  generosity, 
as  it  is  in  some  measure  voluntary ;  for  when  sudden- 
ly alarmed,  or  determined  to  run  away,  all  the  ex- 
ertions of  the  mahote  cannot  stop  him,  even  by  beat- 
ing, or  digging  into  his  head  the  pointed  iron  hook 
by  which  the  latter  directs  him ;  indeed  the  animal 


WILD   ELEPHANTS.  301 

totally  disregards  these  feeble  efforts,  otherwise  he 
could  shake  or  pull  him  off  with  his  trunk. 

"  Accidents,"  says  Mr.  Cary,  the  writer  to  whom 
I  am  indebted  for  this  description  of  elephant  taming, 
"  of  this  kind  happen  almost  every  year,  especially  to 
those  mahotes  who  attend  the  large  goondahs  (male 
elephants) ;  but  they  are  in  general  owing  to  their 
own  carelessness.  It  is  necessary  to  treat  the  males 
with  greater  severity  than  the  females  to  keep  them 
in  awe." 


302  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

WE   CATCH    A   LORD   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"When  the  herd  had  been  secured  in  the  keddah,  the 
people  of  Tharet,  and  most  of  the  other  villagers  who 
had  acted  as  assistants,  received  their  rewards,  and 
set  out  on  their  march  homeward,  leaving  to  the 
professional  hunters  of  the  Golden  King  the  duty  of 
passing  them,  one  by  one,  through  the  Romee,  and 
taming  them  prior  to  their  being  distributed  among 
the  various  royal  elephant  depots. 

Not  so,  however,  Mikee,  who,  when  taken  before 
the  chief  of  the  royal  hunters,  said — 

"  The  Carian  requires  not  the  reward  of  a  slave, 
for  he  has  not  yet  performed  the  duty  assigned  to 
him  by  the  Nats." 

"  Surely  the  Carian  must  be  possessed  with  an  ob- 
stinate Beloo,  who  would  deprive  him  of  his  fair 
share  of  the  flowered  silver,  for  truly  it  is  known  to 
all  that  his  merits  are  great,"  replied  the  chief,  with 
astonishment,  at  finding  that  a  man  existed  who  could 
refuse  money  honestly  earned. 

"The  prize  of  the  herd,  which  the  Nats  themselves 
have  assigned  to  the  Carian,  has  escaped,  therefore 
will  he  receive  no  silver,  but  hide  his  head  in  the 
dust  till  it  has  been  recovered,"  said  Mikee. 


A    LORD    WHITE    ELEPHANT.  303 

"  Truly,  friend,  the  Beloo  must  have  possession  of 
thee,  for  have  Ave  not  secured,  without  dangerous 
hurt  to  one,  a  whole  herd  of  the  noblest  elephants  of 
Pegu  ?  "  said  the  chief. 

"  Of  noble  beasts,  truly,  O  worthy  chief;  yet  has 
the  mightiest  elephant  of  the  forest  to  be  taken,"  said 
Mikee. 

"  Surely  it  must  be  that  the  son  of  my  father  has 
lost  his  understanding,  for  the  words  of  the  worthy 
hunter  are  to  him  as  the  rubies  of  an  undiscovered 
mine,"  replied  the  now  much  mystified  leader." 

"  The  chief  has  said  that  the  services  of  his  servant 
are  deserving  of  reward,"  said  Mikee. 

"  Thy  services  were  great,  therefore  it  is  unreason- 
able that  thou  shouldest  receive  no  reward." 

"  The  only  reward  then,  O  chief,  that  thy  servant 
seeks,  is  the  loan  of  thy  four  koomkees  (female  ele- 
phants)." 

"  The  loan  of  the  koomkees ! "  repeated  the  chief, 
■with  astonishment  at  the  request. 

"  Truly,  the  koomkees ;  for  a  sacred  lord  White 
Elephant  now  awaits  to  be  taken  to  the  Golden 
Palace." 

"  Surely  the  man  is  either  favored  by  the  Nats  or 
possessed  with  many  Beloos,"  replied  the  chief  now 
more  astonished  than  ever. 

When,  however,  Mikee  repeated  the  story  of  the 
Brahmin,  and  the  prophecy,  moreover,  that  at  the 
commencement  of  the  hunt,  before  the  cordon  of 
men  had  been  effectually  placed  around  the  jungle, 
he  had  seen  two  goondahs   (males),   one  of  which 


30i  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT: 

was  white,  retreat  backward  from  the  herd  into  the 
forest,  the  chief,  as  superstitious  as  the  rest  of  his 
countrymen,  fell  upon  the  ground,  saying — 

"Thy  request  is  granted,  O  noble  hunter;  for  it 
would  be  impious  to  refuse  the  request  of  one  to 
whom  the  Nats  have  shown  so  much  favor,  and  who 
•will  speedily  receive  a  robe  of  state,  titles,  and  the 
tslao  (cord  of  nobility)  from  the  hand  of  the  Golden 
Foot ;  for  it  is  said  that  the  sacred  beast  which  has 
so  lonsr  inhabited  the  Golden  Palace  is  even  now 
languishing  at  the  point  of  death,  surrounded  by 
physician  s  who  know  not  how  to  cure,  and  his  great 
officers,  who  find  it  difficult  to  console  the  sacred 
animal ; "  and  the  chief  immediately  left  to  prepare 
the  koomkees  and  their  mahotes. 

"  Thine  own  imagination  has  deceived  thee,  O 
Mikee,"  I  said,  when  he  had  repeated  to  me  what 
had  passed  between  himself  and  the  chief. 

"  It  is  not  so ;  the  sacred  beast  even  now  awaits 
those  who  will  conduct  him  to  his  palace,"  replied 
Mikee,  warmly;  adding,  "but  will  the  noble  colar 
dare  to  join  in  the  hunt  ?" 

"That  will  I,"  was  my  hearty  reply,  notwithstand- 
ing the  cloud  upon  the  countenance  of  Naon,  who 
stood  shrugging  his  shoulders,  in  evident  disgust  at 
the  probability  of  another  hunt. 

Then,  as  soon  as  the  four  koomkees  and  their  ma- 
hotes and  attendants  were  ready,  Mikee,  head- 
ing the  party  as  a  mahote  himself,  and  upon  the  larg- 
est of  the  trained  beasts,  led  the  party  till  we  reached 
that  portion  of  the  forest-jungle — for  it  partook  of 


A    LOKD    WHITE    ELEPHANT.  305 


both — where  he  had  calculated  to  find  the  feeding- 
ground  of  the  white  elephant. 

At  night  the  goondahs,  or  large  male  elephants, 
came  out  singly,  or  in  small  parties  to  feed ;  thus,  to 
watch  them,  while  the  koomkees,  tied  to  trees,  and 
the  mahotes  resting  upon  mats  near  them,  the  whole 
party  being  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  lighted  bam- 
boos, Mikee  and  myself  arranged  to  keep  on  the 
look-out  alternate  hours,  from  a  small  shed  erected 
upon  poles,  and  which  had  been  brought  for  the  pur- 
pose. 

As  the  day  broke,  we  heard  a  strange  rustling 
noise. 

"  It  is  a  goondah,  a  white  goondah  ;  the  fortunate 
hour  has  arrived,  exclaimed  Mikee ;  and  then  rising 
to  my  feet,  sure  enough  I  saw,  at  a  distance  of  a  few 
hundred  yards,  a  noble  elephant  engaged,  at  his 
breakfast  I  suppose,  for  he  was  leisurely  eating  young 
branches,  which  he  kept  pulling  from  the  trees,  the 
cleaning  of  which,  by  whisking  and  striking  them 
against  its  fore  legs,  had  occasioned  the  noise  that 
had  aroused  me,  and  had  given  Mikee  so  much  de- 
light ;  moreover,  it  really  was  an  albino,  or  white  ele- 
phant ;  that  is,  totally  unlike  any  other  I  had  seen. 
It  was  of  a  light  mahogany  color,  and  sufficiently 
contrasting  to  the  common  elephant  to  merit  the 
name  ot  white. 

The  animal,  once  discovered,  no  time  was  to  be 
lost ;  so  we  both  descended  from  the  box,  and  having 
given  the  alarm  to  the  rest  of  the  party,  under  Mikee's 

direction  we  began  the  attack. 
20 


306  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Mikee,  acting  as  a  mahote,  ascended  the  neck  of 
one  of  the  koomkees  by  means  of  a  cord  hung  around 
the  animal  for  the  purpose.  Three  other  mahotes 
followed  his  example,  upon  their  respective  elephants, 
myself  upon  the  last,  with  its  mahote.  As  for  Naon 
and  Seree,  they  remained  behind  with  the  assistants. 
Then,  when  we  had  so  lain  ourselves  forward  upon  the 
neck  of  the  koomkee,  as  not  to  be  seen  by  the  wild  animal 
we  were  about  to  catch,  and  the  necessary  ropes 
were  ready  in  our  hands,  Mikee  gave  the  signal,  and 
the  well-trained  koomkees,  directed  by  the  mahotes, 
proceeded  to  entrap  their  brother  of  the  wilds.  This 
they  did  by  taking  upon  themselves  the  character  of 
untamed  animals,  a  character  they  sustained  by 
leisurely  advancing,  grazing  their  way  as  they  went, 
until  they  had  encompassed  the  goonclah  ;  then,  find- 
ing the  latter  took  no  notice  of  them,  not  distinguish- 
ing them  from  the  wild  animals,  whom  perhaps  he 
had  not  long  since  left  behind  him  in  the  forest,  they 
formed  together  closer,  till  his  two  sides  were  press- 
ed, and  his  head  and  hind  quarters  rubbed  by  the 
four  decoys.  That  was  an  anxious  moment  for  the 
hunter,  for  not  unfrequently,  if  in  a  bad  humor,  the 
wild  animal  will  at  once  furiously  attack  his  tamed 
sisters. 

Fortunately  it  was  not  so  then ;  for  so  warmly  and 
affectionately  did  the  koomkees  caress  the  animal, 
and  so  good-humoredly  did  he  receive  and  return 
them,  that  it  neither  saw  nor  heard  the  mahotes'  as- 
sistants crawl  beneath  the  belly  of  the  koomkee, 
which  had  placed  herself  across  his  hind-quarters,  and 


A   LOKD    WHITE   ELEPHANT.  307 

from  thence  throw  ropes,  the  nooses  of  which,  as  I 
have  said,  were  of  the  figure  of  8,  just  beneath  his 
hind  feet ;  and  when  he  stepped  within  the  figure 
and  the  ropes  were  drawn  rather  tight,  the  koomkees 
were  moved  forward,  of  course  followed  by  the  white 
animal,  from  whose  hind  legs  the  long  ropes  trailed 
along  the  ground. 

Feeling  the  tightness  of  the  ropes  around  his  legs 
increase  as  he  moved  forward,  he  stopped  for  a  mo- 
ment as  if  suspecting  something  wrong ;  then,  as  if 
convinced,  he  retreated  toward  the  thick  jungle. 

The  mahote  upon  the  koomkee  followed  at  a  mod- 
erate pace  and  after  them  the  assistants  ;  who  as  soon 
as  the  beast  passed  a  large  tree,  caught  hold  of  the 
trailing  rope  and  fastened  the  ends  around  the  thick- 
est part  of  its  trunk.  The  elephant  continued  to 
retreat  to  the  whole  length  of  his  tether ;  but  then, 
finding  his  progress  suddenly  arrested,  he  became 
furious,  and  exerting  his  whole  strength,  endeavored 
to  disengage  himself,  till  finding  all  attempts  to  escape 
to  be  useless,  he  gored  the  earth  with  his  tusks,  and 
screamed. 

This  was  another  period  of  anxiety,  for  had  the  ani- 
mal, which  is  not  unfrequently  the  case,  broken  the 
ropes  and  escaped,  we  should  have  lost  him  irre- 
coverably ;  for  upon  making  his  appearance  among 
the  other  wild  elephants,  with  the  gear  of  ropes  about 
him,  they  would  have  attacked  and  killed  him. 

But  dame  Fortune,  or  as  Mikee  would  have  it,  the 
Nats,  favored  us  ;  so,  when  the  animal  had  exhaus- 
ted his  strength  by  his  fruitless  exertions,  and  stared, 


SOS  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

with  his  eyes  half-closed,  in  a  pitiable  state  of  despair 
the  mahotes  brought  around  him  the  koomkees,  who 
gently  pushed  him  nearer  the  tree,  when  the  assistants 
seizing  hold  of  the  trailing  ends  of  the  ropes,  twisted 
them  around  his  legs  and  over  his  trunk  till  they  had 
thoroughly  secured  him ;  taking  care,  however,  while 
they  were  thus  engaged,  to  keep  out  of  reach  of  his 
trunk,  with  which  he  made  many  attempts  to  seize 
them ;  and  having  fastened  him  to  the  tree,  they  left 
him  to  his  meditations  the  whole  of  that  day  and  night. 

The  following  morning,  finding  the  animal  in  a  good 
humor,  and  willing  to  eat  his  food,  the  whole  of  the 
rope  gear,  excepting  the  two  by  which  he  was  fas- 
tened to  the  koomkees,  was  removed,  and  then  it  be- 
came the  duty  of  the  latter  animals  to  pull  him  for- 
ward through  a  passage  which  had  been  j>reviously 
cleared  in  the  jungle,  while  the  assistants  behind 
urged  him  by  clattering  their  rattles,  beating  tom- 
toms, and  thrusting  sticks  into  his  sides. 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  although  the  goondah,  or 
male  elephant,  when  first  taken,  uses  his  utmost  force, 
even  sometimes  to  his  own  destruction,  to  disengage 
himself,  and  would  kill  any  persons  within  his  reach  ; 
yet  he  never  attempts  to  injure  those  syrens  of  his 
own  species  who  have  decoyed  him  into  captivity ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  as  often  as  they  are  brought 
near,  in  order  to  adjust  his  harnessing,  or  move  and 
slacken  those  ropes  which  gall  him,  seems  pleased, 
soothed,  and  comforted  by  them  for  the  loss  of  his 
liberty. 


I   AM    SENT    AS    AMBASSADOR.  309 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

I   AM  SENT  AS   AMBASSADOR  FROM   THE   LORD 
WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

The  news  that  the  party  led  by  Mikee  had  taken 
a  lord  White  Elephant,  reached  the  chief  of  the  hun- 
ters within  a  few  hours  after  the  ropes  had  lbeen 
placed  around  the  animal's  legs ;  and  great  were  the 
rejoicings  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighboring  vil- 
lages for  the  halo  of  glory  it  threw  around  them. 
Had  their  king  conquered  another  kingdom,  or 
driven  the  English  invading  army  into  the  sea,  the 
intelligence  would  not  have  been  more  joyfully  re- 
ceived. 

The  peasants,  dressed  in  whatever  bits  of  finery 
they  could  collect  together,  lined  the  roads,  headed 
by  priests  with  their  best  fans,  freshly-shaven  heads, 
and  in  their  cleanest  yellow  robes.  The  chief  of  the 
hunters,  and  the  headman  of  the  villagers,  with  those 
next  in  rank,  came  to  welcome  the  sacred  beast,  be- 
fore whom  they  all  performed  the  shiko. 

The  chief  of  the  hunters,  addressing  his  four-leered 
lordship,  apologized  in  the  name  of  the  king  that  no 
great  minister  of  state  had  been  sent  to  welcome 
him.     "  Yet,  O  mighty  lord  !"  added  the  chief,  "  as 


310  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

the  Golden  Foot  knew  not  of  thy  advent,  it  was  not 
possible  that  his  majesty  could  he  prepared  to  receive 
thee  with  all  the  honors  due  to  thy  sacred  rank. 
Thy  slaves  have,  however,  erected  thee  a  temporary 
palace  wherein  they  will  attend  thee  until  the  minis- 
ter, secretary,  treasurer,  and  other  proper  officers  of 
thy  establishment  are  appointed  by  the  Golden  Foot, 
and  sent  to  receive  thee." 

After  this  address,  which  was  delivered  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  village,  his  lordship  was  conducted  to  a 
large  building  of  bamboo,  which  had  been  hastily 
built  for  his  temporary  residence.  Scarlet  cloths, 
ornamented  with  gold  embroidery,  were  thrown  over 
his  back;  a  silken  net,  also  gilt,  over  his  head  and 
eyes,  to  protect  him  from  musquitos ;  and  then  he 
was  placed  beneath  the  charge  of  many  persons, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  watch  over  his  cleanliness,  carry 
to  him  every  day  the  freshest  herbs,  which  were  first 
washed  with  water,  and  to  provide  everything  that 
could  contribute  to  his  comfort.  Now,  although  this 
may  appear  very  great  nonsense  to  you,  it  is,  never- 
theless, the  custom,  and  it  has  been  for  many  cen- 
turies, both  in  Ava  and  Siam,  as  you  will  find  from 
the  account  given  by  Ralph  Fitch,  a  London  mer- 
chant, who  writes  of  the  then  King  of  Ava  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"And  among  the  rest  he  hath  four  White  Ele- 
phants, which  are  very  strange  and  rare,  for  there  is 
none  other  king  that  hath  them  but  he ;  if  any  other 
king  hath  one,  he  will  send  unto  him  for  it.  "When 
one  of  these  White  Elephants  is  brought  unto  the 


I   AM   SENT   AS    AMBASSADOR.  Sll 

king,  all  the  merchants  in  the  city  are  commanded  to 
give  him  a  present  of  half  a  ducat,  which  doth  come 
to  a  great  sum,  for  there  arc  many  merchants  in  the 
city.  After  you  have  given  your  presents,  you  may 
come  and  see  it  at  your  pleasure,  although  it  stand 
in  the  king's  house. 

"  The  king  of  Ava  is  called  the  King  of  the  White 
Elephants  ;  and  if  any  other  king  hath  one,  and  will 
not  send  it,  he  will  make  war  with  him  for  it,  for  he 
had  rather  lose  a  great  part  of  his  kingdom  than  not 
conquer  him. 

"  The  people  do  great  service  unto  these  White 
Elephants.  Every  one  of  them  standeth  in  a  house 
gilded  with  gold,  and  they  do  feed  in  vessels  of  silver 
and  gold.  When  they  go  to  be  washed  every  day, 
they  are  taken  under  a  canoj^y  of  gold  and  silk,  car- 
ried by  eight  men,  while  ten  men  go  before  playing 
on  drums  and  musical  instruments  ;  and  when  he  is 
washed  and  comes  out  of  the  river,  there  is  a  gentle- 
man who  washes  his  feet  in  a  silver  basin,  and  which 
is  an  office  given  by  the  king  himself."  Master  Ralph 
Fitch  concludes  by  saying — "And  surely  they  be 
wonderful  fair  and  great,  and  some  be  nine  cubits  in 
height." 

This  account  was  written  nearly  three  hundred 
years  ago.  The  last,  however,  written  by  Captain 
Yule,  who  visited  the  present  reigning  White  Ele- 
phant less  than  three  years  since,  is  to  the  same  effect. 
The  captain  writes — 

"  The  present  White  Elephant  has  occupied  his 
post  for  at  least  nearly  fifty  years.     He  is  close  upon 


S12  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

ten  feet  high,  with  as  noble  a  head  and  pair  of 
tusks  as  I  have  ever  seen ;  but  he  is  long-bodied  and 
lanky,  and  not  otherwise  well  made  as  an  elephant. 
He  is  sickly  and  out  of  condition,  and  is,  in  fact,  dis- 
tempered during  five  months  of  the  year — from 
April  to  August ;  his  eye  has  an  uneasy  glare,  and 
his  keepers  evidently  mistrust  his  temper,  for  we  were 
always  warned  against  going  near  his  head.  His 
color  is  almost  uniform  all  over,  and  on  the  whole  he 
is  well  entitled  to  his  appellation  of  white.  His 
royal  paraphernalia,  which  are  set  out  when  visitors 
are  expected,  are  sufficiently  splendid.  Among  them 
was  a  driving-hook  about  three  feet  long,  the  stem 
of  which  was  a  mass  of  small  pearls,  girt  at  frequent 
intervals  with  bands  of  rubies  ;  and  the  hook  and 
handle  of  crystal,  tipped  with  gold.  His  headstall 
was  of  fine  red  cloth,  plentifully  studded  with  fine 
rubies,  and  near  the  extremity  having  some  valuable 
diamonds.  To  fix  over  two  bumps  of  the  forehead 
were  circles  of  the  nine  gems  which  are  supposed  to 
be  charms  against  evil  influences. 

"  When  caparisoned,  he  also  wore  on  the  forehead 
like  other  Burmese  dignitaries,  including  the  king 
himself,  a  gold  plate  inscribed  with  his  titles,  and  a 
gold  crescent  set  with  circles  of  large  gems  between 
his  eyes.  Large  silver  tassels  hung  in  front  of  his 
ears,  and  he  was  harnessed  with  bands  of  gold  and 
crimson  set  with  large  bosses  of  pure  gold.  He  is  a 
regular  '  estate'  of  the  realm,  having  a  minister  of 
his  own,  four  gold  umbrellas,  the  white  umbrellas 
which  are  peculiar  to  royalty,  with  a  suite  of  thirty 


A   LOKD    WHITE   ELEPHANT.  313 

attendants.  Every  person,  previous  to  entering  his 
palace,  must  pull  off  his  shoes;  and  moreover,  the 
animal  has  an  appanage  or  territory  assigned  to  him 
as  his  own  especial  estate,  the  revenues  from  which 
belong  to  him. 

"Respecting  these  revenues,  a  whimsical  anecdote 
is  told,  namely,  that  the  king  being  at  one  time 
pressed  for  money  to  pay  the  English  some  indemni- 
ty-money, was  compelled  to  take  the  rents  belonging 
to  the  Lord  Elephant ;  but  having  done  this,  his 
majesty  had  an  address  written  on  a  long  palm- 
leaf,  formally  laid  before  the  elephant,  requesting  him 
not  to  take  it  amiss  that  his  revenues  had  been  de- 
voted to  the  payment  of  the  strangers,  for  the  whole 
should  be  refunded  within  two  months." 

But  to  continue  my  narrative. 

When  Mikee  had  seen  his  four-footed  lordship 
properly  installed  in  his  temporary  palace,  his  prob- 
able requirements  cared  for,  and  we  stood  together 
alone  in  the  house  of  the  headman,  I  congratulated 
him  upon  his  good  fortune,  when  he  replied, 
calmly — 

"Truly,  Mikee' s  fortune  is  good,  for  he  can  at 
least  be  useful  to  the  noble  colar,  who,  by  destroying 
the  crocodile,  revenged  the  death  of  his  relative." 

"  That  crocodile,  again !  I  hoped  you  had  forgotten 
it,  Mikee." 

"  Mikee  does  not  forget  his  promise,  and  he  Avill 
now  serve  thee  ;  "  then  gazing  at  me,  he  said,  "the 
noble  colar  desires  to  enter  the  Golden  City,  but  fears 
being  seized  by  the  soldiers  on  his  way  ?" 


314  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"Thou  art  right,  Mikee,  thou  art  right;  for  I 
have  a  dear  friend  who,  I  fear,  is  imprisoned,  and 
for  whose  liberty  I  would  sacrifice  my  own,"  said  I ; 
adding,  "  but  how  is  it  possible  that  thou  canst  as- 
sist me  in  this  ?  " 

"The  message-man  who  is  sent  by  me  with  the 
first  news  to  the  Golden  Foot  of  the  capture  of  the 
sacred  beast,  will  be  asked  to  choose  his  own  reward. 
Thou  shalt  be  that  message-man." 

"  Mikee,  thou  hast  indeed  well  repaid  me  for  any 
good  I  may  have  done  thee ;  for  if  this  thing  be  true 
that  thou  sayest,  and  my  friend  yet  lives,  as  I  believe 
he  does,  I  may  rescue  him,"  said  I,  joyfully,  as  the 
whole  advantages  of  the  offer  occurred  to  me ;  "  but 
Xaon, — how  is  it  he  has  not  followed  us  ?  "  I  added, 
remembering  now  that  I  had  not  seen  him  since  the 
first  advance  upon  the  elephant. 

"  The  attendant  of  the  noble  colar  is  neither  war- 
rior nor  hunter,  but  a  household  slave  without  heart ; 
so,  when  the  mahotes  advanced  upon  the  sacred 
goondah,  he  feared,  and  fell  to  the  rear  among  the 
people,"  said  Mikee. 

"  That  is  true ;  but  it  is  unreasonable  that  he 
should  not  be  here,  now  we  are  in  safety,"  said  I. 

"  Truly,  it  is  not  reasonable  that  the  noble  colar 
should  regret  the  loss  of  so  great  a  coward,"  said  he. 

"  Does  coming  prosperity  render  the  brave  Mikee 
ungenerous  ?  Would  he  so  easily  abandon  one  with 
whom  he  had  passed  through  so  many  dangers?" 
said  I,  indignantly,  and  at  once  leaving  the  house  to 
CO  in  search  of  the  half-caste. 


A   LORD   WIHTE   ELEPHANT.  315 

Every  effort,  however,  was  useless,  for  he  was  to 
be  found  neither  among  the  hunters  or  the  simple 
villagers.  All  that  I  could  hear  was,  what  I  knew, 
that  upon  the  first  cords  being  thrown  around  the 
legs  of  the  goondah,  he  had  retreated  to  the  rear 
among  the  crowd ;  since  when  he  had  not  been  seen. 


316  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

I     VISIT   THE   EARTH-OIL   WELLS,    AND   WITNESS 
A   FESTIVAL. 

The  mysterious  disappearance  of  Naon  much  grieved 
me,  for  I  feared  that  by  some  unaccountable  accident 
he  had  become  the  prey  of  a  prowling  tiger.  How- 
ever, as  the  bullock-cart  was  ready  for  me  the  next 
morning,  and  Seree,  wTho  was  to  act  as  my  guide, 
and,  moreover,  conduct  me  to  the  house  of  the  deputy 
governor  of  Yenang-young,  who  would  provide  me 
with  a  boat  and  a  pass,  so  that  I  might  reach  the 
capital  unmolested,  I  was  compelled  to  leave  further 
search  in  the  hands  of  Mikee,  knowing  that,  although 
he  would  not  for  the  world  quit  the  neighborhood 
of  his  great  prize — the  elephant — the  brave  fellow 
would  send  men  throughout  the  neighboring  country 
to  search  for  the  half-caste. 

So,  having  received  my  credentials  to  the  king  in 
the  form  of  a  short  note  written  upon  a  palm-leaf  by 
Mikee,  and  attested  by  the  chief  of  the  king's  hunters 
and  the  headman  of  the  village,  I  took  leave  of  the 
Carian ;  and  for  three  days  we  traveled  through  a 
country  which  at  every  mile  grew  more  sterile  and 
mountainous.  About  the  middle  of  the  third  day 
we  came  in  sight  of  Yenang-young   (which,  by  the 


EAKTH-OIL   WELLS.  317 

way,  signifies  fetid  water  rivulet)  ;  and  which,  from 
being  built  both  upon  hill  and  in  valley,  presented, 
with  its  numerous  pagodas  and  kioums,  a  very  fan- 
tastic appearance. 

That  we  were  approaching  the  celebrated  oil-wells 
was  apparent  enough,  from  the  offensive  odor  which 
saluted  my  nostrils ;  as  for  Seree,  he  seemed  too 
much  accustomed  to  the  scent  to  notice  it.  Then, 
as  we  advanced,  the  face  of  the  country  became  still 
more  cheerless  and  sterile.  The  road,  which  wound 
among  rocky  eminences,  was  barely  wide  enough  to 
admit  the  passage  of  a  single  cart ;  and  in  many  places 
the  track  in  which  the  wheels  ran,  was  a  foot  and  a 
half  lower  on  one  side  than  the  other. 

The  hills  were  covered  with  gravel,  and  yielded  no 
other  vegetation  than  a  few  stunted  bushes.  Observ- 
ing,  however,  pieces,  or  rather  large  lumps  of  stone 
lying  about  in  every  direction,  I  descended  from  the 
cart,  and  examining  one  piece,  could  plainly  see  from 
the  grain  that  it  was  petrified  wood.  This  transform- 
ation the  Burmans  assert  is  caused  by  the  petrifying 
quality  of  the  soil,  which  in  that  place  is  such  that 
the  leaves  of  trees  shaken  off  by  the  wind  will  not 
unfrequently  change  into  stone  before  they  can  be 
decayed  by  time.  But  be  that  as  it  may,  the  soil  is 
sufficiently  extraordinary  to  give  forth  a  valuable 
oil,  which  is  used  not  only  all  over  India  for  burn- 
ing in  lamps,  smearing  timber  to  protect  it  against 
insects,  but  in  England  by  some  of  our  celebrated 
candle  manufacturers. 

Early  in  the  evening  we  arrived  in  the  town  itself, 


318  THE   WHITE   ELErHANT. 

which  is  about  three  miles  from  the  wells,  and  pre- 
sented ourselves  at  once  before  the  deputy  governor, 
whose  grandeur  and  hauteur  became  not  only  modi- 
fied, but  positively  changed  to  extreme  politeness 
when  I  exhibited  my  palm-leaf  note,  and  told  him 
that  being  the  bearer  of  such  great  news  to  the  king, 
I  required  not  only  a  pass  which  would  prevent 
my  being  molested,  but  also  a  well-manned  boat; 
both  of  which  requests  he  very  readily  granted. 

This  great  man  wore  a  gold  chain,  or  tslao  of  nine 
strings,  and  possessed  a  title  of  four  syllables ;  all  of 
which  I  mention  because  these  chains  and  syllables 
are  matters  of  great  importance  among  the  Burmans, 
and  symbolize  the  rank  of  the  parties  who  bear  and 
wear  them. 

With  reference  to  the  tslao,  the  different  number 
of  its  strings  marks  the  rank.  The  smallest  number 
of  chains  is  three,  and  the  greatest  for  a  subject 
twelve,  the  intermediate  ones  being  six  and  nine. 
Four  and  twenty  strings  to  the  chain  are  worn  only 
by  members  of  the  royal  family.  Then,  as  for  the 
number  of  syllables  in  the  title,  you  must  know  that 
there  is  no  word  in  the  Burman  tongue  of  more  than 
two  syllables,  and  not  many  of  more  than  one.  The 
king  then  reigning  had  a  title  consisting  of  twenty- 
one  syllables,  each  representing  some  virtue  or  qual- 
ity. 

Well,  not  contented  alone  with  hospitably  lodging 
me  for  the  night,  during  the  earlier  portion  of  which. 
I  had  to  undergo  a  severe  fusillade  of  questions  from 
the   governor   and   the  ladies  of  the  household  (in 


EARTH-OIL   WELLS.  319 

Burma,  unlike  any  country  in  Indostan,  the  women 
mix  as  freely  in  society  as  in  England)  respecting  the 
size,  color,  appearance,  and  discovery  of  the  White 
Elephant,  the  governor  presented  me  with  the  dress 
of  a  Burman  gentleman,  and  insisted  that  I  should 
remain  with  him  during  the  whole  of  the  next  day, 
to  witness  at  least  the  beginning  of  a  great  festival. 
That  some  festival  was  in  preparation  I  imagined,  for 
on  my  way  from  the  river  to  the  governor's  house, 
which  was  a  short  distance  in  the  suburbs,  I  saw  men 
engaged  in  making  all  kinds  of  fantastic  tin  shrines, 
and  enormous  lanterns  to  contain  candles  more  than 
two  inches  thick.  Some  of  the  more  elaborate  offer- 
ings Avere  being  paraded  about  the  streets. 

One  party  carried  a  gigantic  representation  of  the 
palm-leaf  (which  the  priests  use  as  a  sunshade),  made 
of  gaily  painted  paper,  to  which  were  attached  a 
number  of  little  books  of  gold  leaf;  another  dragged 
about  a  tinsel  tabernacle ;  another  a  dragon  with  a 
gaudily  gilt  ferocious  head,  at  least  one  hundred  feet 
in  length,  but  which  was  made  of  muslin  distended 
by  hoops ;  and  so  cleverly  constructed,  that  it  was 
made  to  wind  and  undulate  along  the  street,  and 
every  now  and  then  to  dart  its  fangs  backward  and 
forward  at  the  passers-by. 

This  being  the  greatest  of  the  Burman  festivals  (it 
was  the  end  of  the  Buddhist  Lent),  during  the  fifteen 
days  of  the  decreasing  moon  the  cities  were  illumin- 
ated every  night  with  lanterns  made  of  different- 
colored  transparent  paper,  and  suspended  from  bamboo 
scaffolds.    At  the  capital,  on  the  three  terminating 


S20  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

days,  solemn  homage  is  paid  to  the  king,  to  the  prince 
royal,  and  the  chief  queen.  At  the  court  of  this 
queen,  the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  nobles  pay 
their  homage,  unaccompanied  by  their  male  relatives. 
The  rank  which  each  lady  bears  in  right  of  her  hus- 
band or  father,  is  shown  by  her  dress  and  ornaments, 
female  priority  being  not  less  scrupulously  maintained 
than  precedence  amongst  the  men. 

So  entirely  were  the  people  resigned  to  holiday- 
making,  that,  but  for  the  importance  of  my  errand, 
and  which  the  governor  himself  did  not  dare  delay 
longer  than  necessary,  it  would  have  been  impossible 
to  have  procured  boatmen  to  row  us  to  Ava ;  as  it 
was,  the  governor  commanded  the  chief  of  that  part 
of  the  river  to  have  a  boat  in  readiness  for  me  by  the 
second  morning  of  the  festival. 

When  the  hour,  however,  arrived  for  my  departure, 
and  as  I  was  performing  my  ablutions  preparatory  to 
taking  farewell  of  the  governor,  I  heard  a  great  noise 
in  the  front  of  the  house,  and  the  sound  of  voices  a 
few  minutes  afterward.  Seree,  who  slept  during 
the  night  in  the  outhouse  allotted  to  the  servants  01 
the  governor,  ran  into  my  room,  crying — 

"  There  is  great  news,  terrible  news  arrived  from 
the  Golden  City." 

"  What !  have  the  English  stormed  the  capital  ?"  I 
asked,  for  that  was  an  event  I  fully  expected,  nay, 
hoped  to  hear. 

"  It  is  not  so,  noble  colar,"  replied  Seree,  who  had 
patriotism  sufficient  in  him  to  feel  indignant  at  the 
question. 


EAETH-OIL    WELLS.  321 

"  Then  what  is  this  wonderful  news,  my  good 
Seree  ?"  said  I. 

"  It  is  news  that  must  be  whispered  only ;  an  event 
has  happened  that  it  would  be  heavily  punishable  by 
the  law  to  speak  of  openly,"  replied  the  Burman,  in  a 
mysterious  whisper. 

"Is,  then,  the  king  or  queen  dead?"  I  asked, 
knowing  that  to  mention  the  death,  although  the  fact, 
of  either  of  those  illustrious  individuals  was  a  crim- 
inal offence. 

"  It  is  not  so ;  but,  O  noble  colar,  the  lord  "White 
Elephant  has  departed."  ^ 

"  The  White  Elephant !  then  has  Mikee  followed 
us  ?"  I  said,  thinking  only  of  the  animal,  whose  taking, 
I  anticipated  was  to  prove  of  so  much  benefit  to  my- 
self, as  well  as  Mikee. 

"•The  Nats  be  thanked,  it  is  not  so  ;  yet  the  calam- 
ity is  great,  for  it  is  the  sacred  beast  of  the  Golden 
Palace." 

"  This  may  be  a  misfortune,  but  it  is  good  news  for 
us,  for  now  will  the  elephant  of  Mikee  be  of  the 
greater  value,"  I  replied;  adding,  "but  how  know 
you  this,  Seree  ?" 

"The  messengers  from  the  capital  have  but  just 
arrived  to  inform  the  governor.', 

"  Then  we  must  lose  no  time  in  taking  our  good 
news  to  the  king,"  said  I. 

So  having  taken  leave  of  the  governor,  who  repeated 
to  me  the  details  of  the  death  of  the  illustrious  animal, 
and  congratulated  me  upon  the  reward  I  should  re- 
ceive for  taking,  at  such  a  juncture,  such  important 


322  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

intelligence,  we  went  clown  to  the  river  and  embarked. 
The  boat,  to  do  me  honor,  was  manned  with  twenty 
rowers,  and  supplied  with  a  good  stock  of  provisions 
for  we  could  not  reach  Ava  in  less  than  six  or  seven 
days. 

By  the  evening  of  the  second  day  we  arrived  at 
Montha,  chiefly  interesting  to  me  as  being  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  Kyat-pyen,  or  the  nine  mountains;  and 
which  would  be  an  earthly  paradise  to  jewelers,  for 
the  soil,  which  is  uneven  and  full  of  marshes,  forming 
seventeen  small  lakes,  is  one  of  the  richest  in  the 
world  in  mineral  treasures,  and  abounds  in  rubies, 
sapphires,  topazes,  and  other  crystals.  Like  every 
other  art  and  process  of  production  in  Burma,  the 
method  of  procuring  these  gems  is  very  primitive. 
The  dry  ground  alone  is  mined  by  the  miners,  who 
dig  square  wells,  supporting  the  sides  with  piles  and 
cross-pieces.  These  wells  being  first  sunk  to  a  depth 
of  twenty  cubits,  the  miner  descends  with  a  basket, 
and  having  filled  it  with  loose  earth,  he  ascends,  picks 
out  the  jewels,  and  washes  them  in  the  brooks  of  the 
neighboring  hills.  They  continue  working  the 
wells  laterally  till  two  meet,  when  the  place  is 
abandoned. 

Of  course  so  despotic  a  gentleman  as  his  Majesty 
the  King  of  Ava  claims  the  whole  of  this  valuable 
soil,  and  all  jewels  that  may  be  found  therein,  as  his 
own  property ;  but,  by  way  of  encouragement  to 
the  miners,  he  only  puts  in  force  his  claim  to  all  that 
may  exceed  the  value  of  twelve  pounds;  consequent- 
ly, the  miners  evade  the  law  by  breaking  the  large 


EAETH-OIL   WELLS.  323 

stones  into  fragments.  Still,  the  king's  treasury 
possesses  many  fine  stones  of  great  value ;  and  so 
fearful  is  he  of  exciting  the  cupidity  of  foreigners, 
that  upon  no  occasion  whatever  are  strangers  per- 
mitted to  visit  these  mines.  It  is  not,  however,  so 
easy  for  his  majesty  to  arrest  the  avarice  of  his  sub- 
jects; for,  some  time  before  my  arrival  at  Montha, 
two  masses  of  rubies,  each  weighing  two  hundred 
and  eighty  pounds,  had  been  discovered  ;  but  as  the 
convoy  was  carrying  them  to  the  king,  it  was  at- 
tacked by  robbers,  who  succeeded  in  taking  and 
making  off  with  one  of  them. 

Five  days  after  leaving  Montha,  Ave  reached  the 
city  of  the  Golden  Foot,  which  cannot  be  better  de- 
scribed than  in  the  words  of  old  Ralph  Fitchc  who, 
writing  of  Pegu,  of  which  Ava  is  the  model,  tells  us 
so  quaintly : — 

"  A  city  strong  and  very  fair,  with  walls  of  stone 
and  great  ditches  round  it.  There  are  two  towns, 
the  old  and  new.  In  the  old  town  are  all  the  mer- 
chants, strangers,  and  very  many  merchants  of  the 
country.  All  the  goods  are  sold  in  the  old  town* 
which  is  very  great,  and  hath  many  suburbs  round 
about  it :  and  all  the  houses  are  made  of  bamboo 
canes,  covered  with  straw.  In  your  house  you  have 
a  warehouse,  or  godoun,  which  is  made  of  brick,  to 
put  your  goods  in  ;  for  oftentimes  they  take  fire,  and 
burn  in  an  hour  four  or  five  hundred  houses  :  so  that, 
if  the  godoun  were  not,  you  should  be  in  danger  to 
have  all  burned  in  a  trice.  In  the  new  town  is  the 
king  and  all  his  nobility.     It  is  a  square  city,  great 


32i  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

and  populous,  with  walls,  and  a  large  ditch  around 
them.  It  hath  twenty  gates,  and  many  turrets,  made 
of  wood,  and  gilded  with  gold,  for  sentinels. 

"  The  streets  are  the  fairest  I  ever  saw,  as  straight 
as  a  line  from  one  gate  to  another,  and  so  broad  that 
ten  or  twenty  men  may  ride  afront  through  them. 
On  both  sides  of  the  streets,  at  every  man's  door,  is 
set  a  palm-tree,  beneath  which  a  man  may  walk  in 
the  shade  all  day.  The  houses  are  made  of 
wood,  and  covered  with  tiles.  The  king's  palace  is 
in  the  middle  of  the  city,  and  walled  and  ditched 
around ;  the  buildings  within  the  palace  are  made  of 
wood,  very  sumptuously  gilded,  and  great  workman- 
ship is  on  the  fore  front,  which  is  likewise  very 
costly  gilded ;  and  the  house  wherein  his  pagoda,  or 
idol,  standeth,  is  covered  with  tiles  of  silver,  and  all 
the  walls  are  gilded  with  gold.  Within  the  first 
gate  of  the  palace  is  a  great  room,  whose  walls  are 
gilded  with  gold;  and  near  to  this  are  houses  for  the 
king's   elephant,   which   is    marvelously    large    and 

fair." 

Then  as  a  proof  of  the  honest  dealings  of  the 
people  in  his  day,  this  old  English  merchant  tells  us, 
"There  are  in  this  town  eight  brokers,  who  are 
bound  to  sell  your  goods  for  you  at  the  price  which 
they  be  worth,  and  you  give  them  for  their  labor  two 
in  the  hundred,  and  they  be  bound  to  make  your 
debts  good,  because  you  sell  your  merchandizes  on 
their  word.  If  the  broker  pay  you  not  on  the  day 
agreed,  you  may  take  him  home,  and  keep  him  in 
your  house,  which  is  a  great  shame  for  him ;  and  il 


EARTH-OIL    WELLS.  325 

he  pay  you  not  presently,  you  may  take  his  wife  and 
children,  and  his  slaves,  and  bind  them  at  your  door, 
and  set  them  in  the  sun,  for  this  is  the  law  of  the 
country." 


326  THE   "WHITE    LLEI'HANT. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

I    HAVE   A1ST   ADVENTURE   WITH    A   KING   WHOM   I 
FIND    AriCKBACK. 

"Truly  I  know  not  where  we  may  lodge,  or 
how  I  may  obtain  this  desirable  audience  of  his  ma- 
jesty," said  I,  as  we  entered  the  Pegu  gate  of  the 
outer  city. 

"  Had  the  noble  colar  ch  igned  to  ash,  his  servant 
■would  have  told  him,  that  the  most  fortunate  of  hun- 
ters, Mikee,  desires  that  he  may  seek  the  house  of 
Shwe  Maong,  the  buffoon  of  the  Golden  Foot,  who  will 
entertain  him  till  he  is  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  an 
interview  with  the  Prince  of  Brome,  through  whom 
alone  he  can  obtain  an  audience  of  the  Golden 
King" 

"  I  am  a  dolt,  or  I  should  have  known  that  Mikee 

would  make  every  provision,  so  let  us  to  the  house  of 

this  buffoon.     But  what   have  Ave  here  ?"  I  added, 

as  at  that    moment    a   multitude    of  persons    came 

oward   the  gate. 

"The  funeral  procession  of  the  wife  of  a  praw 
lord),"  replied  Seree;  and  we  stood  upon  the  steps 
of  a   zayat,  or  chapel,  to  see  it  pass. 

The  funeral  ceremony  of  the  wife  of  a  great  lord  is 
thus  lucidly  described  by  the  envoy  Crawford  ; — 


ADVENTURE    WITH    A    KING.  32 7 

"The  insignia,  or  arras,  of  the  husband  were  borne 
in  front  Then  come  presents  for  the  priests,  and 
alms  to  be  distributed  amongst  the  becrsrars,  consis- 
ting  of  sugar-cane,  bananas,  and  other  fruits,  with 
ready  made  garments.  A  shabby  elephant,  on  which 
was  mounted  an  ill-looking  fellow,  dressed  in  red,  fol- 
lowed, bearing  a  box-,  in  which  were  to  be  placed  the 
bones  and  ashes  of  the  deceased ;  an  office  which  is 
considered  so  ignominious,  that  it  is  performed  by  a 
criminal,  who  is  pardoned  for  his  services.  Even  the 
elephant  is  thought  to  be  contaminated  by  being  thus 
employed,  and  for  this  reason  an  old  or  maimed  ani- 
mal is  selected,  which  is  afterward  turned  loose  into 
the  forest. 

"  A  band  of  music  followed  the  elephant ;  after 
which  came  a  long  line  of  priestesses,  or  nuns,  all  old 
and  infirm;  then  came  ten  or  twelve  young  women, 
attendants  of  the  deceased,  dressed  in  white,  and 
carrying  her  insignia.  Then  the  state  palanquins  oi 
the  deceased,  and  her  husband;  the  bier;  the  female 
relations  of  the  family,  carried  in  small  litters  cov- 
ered with  white  cloths ;  the  husband  and  male 
relatives  on  foot,  dressed  in  white,  followed  in  order. 

"  The  body  was  conveyed  to  a  broad  and  elevated 
brick  terrace,  where  it  was  to  be  burned.  We  as. 
sembled  ou  this  to  see  the  ceremonies.  The  coffin 
which  was  very  splendid,  was  stripped  of  the  large 
gold  plates  with  which  it  was  ornamented ;  and  the 
class  of  persons  whose  business  it  is  to  burn  the  bod- 
ies of  the  dead  were  seen  busy  in  preparing  the  ma- 
terials of  the  funeral-pile. 


328  the  white  elephant. 

"  These  corpse-burners,  or  chandala,  form  a  class 
hereditarily  degraded  from  the  rest  of  the  people, 
and  are  held  to  be  so  impure  that  the  rest  of  the 
people  never  intermarry  with  them." 

"  When  all  was  ready,  the  mourners  sat  down  at 
the  foot  of  the  coffin  and  began  to  weep  and  utter 
loud  lamentations.  Their  grief,  however,  was  per- 
fectly under  control ;  for  they  ceased,  a3  if  by  word 
of  command,  when  the  religious  part  of  the  ceremony 
commenced.  It  sometimes  happens,  that  when  the 
families  of  the  deceased  have  few  servants  or  relatives, 
hired  mourners  are  employed  for  the  occasion. 

"  The  first  part  of  the  office  of  the  chandala  was 
to  open  the  coffin,  turn  the  body  upon  its  face,  bend 
back  the  lower  limbs  ;  place  six  gilded  billets  of  wood 
under  its  sides,  and  four  over  it.  The  priests  had 
neither  joined  the  procession  nor  taken  any  share  in 
the  funeral  rites,  but  were  assembled  in  great  num- 
bers under  a  shed  at  no  great  distance.  But  now  the 
high  priest  came  forward,  and,  along  with  the  hus- 
band, took  in  their  hands  the  end  of  a  web  of  white 
cloth,  of  which  the  other  was  affixed  to  the  head  of 
the  coffin.  They  sat  down,  and  the  friends  and 
principal  people  joined  them.  The  priest,  followed 
by  the  assembly  with  their  hands  joined,  then  mutter- 
ed the  following  prayer  from  the  Buddhist  creed : 

"  'We  worship  Buddha.  We  worship  his  law.  We 

worship  his   priests.'      And  then  repeated  the  five 

commandments.     '  Do  not  kill.     Do  not  steal.     Do 

•not   commit   adultery.     Do   not  lie.     Do  not  drink 

wine.' 


? 


ADVENTUKE    WITH    A    KING. 

"  The  husband  tlien  pouring-  water  upon  the  cloth 
from  a  cocoa-nut  shell,  pronounced  after  the  priest 


these  words — '  Let  the  deceased  and  all  present  par- 
take of  the  merit  of  the  ceremonies  now  performing,' 
To  which  the  assembled  people  replied — '  We  partake, 
or  we  accept.'  " 

"  The  pouring  of  water  upon  the  ground  is  con- 
sidered by  the  Burmans  the  most  solemn  vow.  It  is 
as  if  it  were  calling  the  earth  to  witness,  or  rather 
the  guardian  Nat  or  tutelary  spirit  of  the  place ;  who, 
it  is  supposed,  will  hold  the  vow  in  remembrance, 
should  men  forget  it. 

"  Two  other  priests  followed  the  first,  repeating  the 

same,  or  similar  prayers  and  ceremonies.    After  this, 

the  company  retired  to  some  distance,  and  the  funeral 

pile  was  lighted. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  pomp  and  parade  of  this 

ceremony,  it  was  upon  the  whole  not  solemn,  and  in- 
deed in  all  respects  scarcely  even  decorous.  The  per- 
sons not  immediately  concerned  in  the  performance 
of  the  funeral  rites  laughed  and  talked  as  at  a  com- 
mon meeting,  and  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion 
seemed  to  affect  no  one  beyond  the  husband  and  the 
son.  The  spectators  in  general  seemed  to  view  the 
ceremony  with  some  vanity,  as  a  grand  natioual  and 
religious  display,  but  nothing  further.  Even  the 
husband,  who  shed  some  tears,  was  not  altogether 
insensible  to  the  pomp  of  the  occasion.  He  turned 
round  to  me  and  said,  "  Have  you  examined  my  wife's  j 
paraphernalia  ?  There  they  are  behind  you ;  I  beg 
you  to  look  at  them.     They  were  all  bestowed  upon 

*  ft 


■°. 


' 


30  THE   WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

her  by  the  glorious  king.'  And  the  high  priest, 
while  he  was  still  sitting  on  the  ground,  and  when  he 
had  hardly  done  with  prayer,  turned  round  upon  ob- 
serving us,  laughed  very  heartily,  and  said  uncon- 
cernedly, '  Who  are  these  strangers  ?'  " 

When  the  procession  had  passed,  we  followed  to 
witness  the  burning.  After  which,  we  made  our  way 
into  the  inner  town,  and  after  a  short  time  reached 
the  palisades  of  the  king's  palace;  a  building  which 
had  not  then  been  long  erected,  but  was  yet  famous 
as  having  been  the  cause  of  one  of  those  minor  dom- 
estic  tragedies  so  common  in  Eastern  nations. 

The  architect  having,  at  least  in  the  eyes  of  the 
king,  committed  some  professional  mistake  in  the 
construction  of  the  great  spire,  his  majesty  remon- 
strated with  him,  declaring  that  it  could  never  stand;  - 
but  the  man,  with  a  boldness  wonderful  for  a  slave,, 
pertinaciously  insisting  upon  its  durability,  was  sent 
to  the  State  prison  for  its  contumacy.  Shortly  after- 
ward the  spire  in  question  fell  during  a  thunder- 
storm. This  accident  enraged  the  king ;  bnt  as  about 
the  same  time  accounts  were  received  at  court  of  the 
landing  of  the  English  army  at  Rangoon,  his  majesty 
superstitiously  believing  that  there  was  some  mys- 
terious connection  between  the  two  events,  imme- 
diately ordered  the  unfortunate  architect  to  be  de- 
capitated. 

"  Truly,  the  house  of  this  buffoon,  is  a  wearisome 
istance,  said  I,  much  fatigued. 
"  The  impatience  of  the  noble  colar  is  great ;  yet, 
if  he   dares  to   cross   the   palace  ground,  we  may 


AD  VENTURE    WITH    A    KING.  331 

shorten  the  distance  to  the  house  of  Shwe  Maon," 
said  Seree. 

"  So  be  it,"  I  replied,  opening  a  wicket. 

But  Seree  cried  aloud,  "The  Shi-ko — the  Shi- 
ko." 

So  saying,  he  pulled  off  his  shoes  and  fell  upon  his 
hands  and  knees,  bowing  before  the  palace. 

This,  however,  I  could  not  do ;  it  was  too  humiliat- 
ing ;  yet,  fearing  that  I  might  get  into  trouble  by 
omitting  the  ceremony,  I  looked  around  for  a  minute. 
I  could  see  no  person  near ;  and  so  starting  at  full 
speed  ran  across  the  grounds  toward  the  river,  hop- 
ing to  get  without  the  sacred  precincts  as  speedily  as 
possible.  Seree  followed ;  but  turning  an  angle  of 
the  building,  who  should  I  see  before  me  but  Sinbad, 
mounted  by  his  old  man,  coming  full  galop  in  our 
direction.  Literally,  it  was  a  short,  stout  gentleman, 
some  forty  years  of  age,  upon  the  shoulders  of  a 
stalwart  fellow,  in  whose  mouth  was  a  muslin  bridle  ; 
at  which  the  rider,  while  he  goaded  him  with  the 
blunt  end  of  a  spear,  twirled  and  twisted  with  as 
much  vehemence  as  if  he  had  been  near  the  winning- 
post  of  a ^tee-course. 

I  could  go  no  further  for  laughing.  A  man  of 
forty  riding  pickback,  playing  at  horses,  was  so  com- 
ical ;  and  so  intent  was  the  rider  and  his  man-horse, 
with  their  faces  toward  the  ground,  that  they  ran 
against  me  with  such  force  that  I  fell,  the  horse 
stumbled,  and  the  rider  was  made  to  fly  some  distances- 
ahead. 

Fearing  he  was  hurt,  I  would  have  stopped  to  help 
21 


332  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

him  from  the  ground ;  "but  Seree,  taking  hold  of  my 
arm,  exclaimed — 

"  Run — run  for  your  life ;  let  them  not  see  your 
face.     Run,  for  it  is  the  Golden  Foot." 

I  did  not,  however,  require  much  persuasion;  the 
title  was  sufficient.  I  had  upset  the  Golden  Majesty 
of  Ava  in  the  midst  of  his  daily  exercise,  so  I  ran 
toward  the  river.  A  spear  whistled  past  my  ears, 
the  king  was  following,  puffing  and  panting  in  the 
most  unroyal  manner ;  but,  fortunately  for  me,  so  en- 
raged as  to  forget  to  call  to  the  guards. 

We  were,  however,  too  far  ahead ;  we  had  turned 
by  a  portion  of  the  building  which  hid  us  from  his 
sight.  Then  we  soon  reached  a  narrow  path  between 
two  walls ;  darting  along  this,  Ave  came  to  a  house ; 
and  seeing  it  was  untenanted,  passed  through  from 
front  to  back,  and  were  safe  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd 
of  people  on  their  way  to  witness  the  preparations 
making  for  a  great  elephant  fight. 

"  Thank  Heaven  Ave  have  escaped  the  king  and  his 
royal  cockhorse,"  said  I. 

"Truly,  it  is  fortunate  that  his  majesty  did  not 
overtake  us,  for  Ave  should  have  been  less  than  the 
dust,"  rejffied  Seree 

"Not  even  the  news  I  carry  Avould  haA-e  saved 
us?" 

"  Nought  beneath  heaven  could  have  saved  the  life 
of  the  noble  colar,  so  great  is  the  Golden  Avrath," 
said  Seree. 

"It  will  be  a  lesson  for  his  majesty  not  to  get  into 
useless  passions,"  said  I. 


ADVENTURE    WITH    A    KING.  333 


"  Alas !  the  Golden  King  is  perhaps  even  now  but 
doubly  enraged,  and  running  about  his  palace  chasing 
his  lords  with  his  spear;  for  such  is  his  majesty's 
custom  when  any  object  of  his  wrath  escapes  him," 
said  Seree. 

"  But  this  Shwe  Maon  ?  Are  we  near  his  house  ?" 
said  I. 

"  Truly,  we  are  not  far  distant,  for  it  is  near  yon 
Temple  of  Ti-lo-men-lo,"  replied  Seree,  pointing  to 
the  umbrella  spire  of  a  religious  building. 

"Ti-lo-men-lo  !  "  said  I,  wonderingly,  and  at  which 
you  will  not  be  surprised,  when  I  tell  you  that  the 
English  of  this  title  is,  "As  likes  the  umbrella,  so 
likes  the  kingdom." 

"  The  noble  colar  thinks  the  title  of  the  holy  build- 
in  o-  extraordinary.  It  is  less  so,  however,  than  its 
history,"  said  Seree. 

And  as  we  proceeded  in  the  direction  of  the  temple 
he  related  the  following  story ; — 

"  The  king,  the  father  of  the  Prince  Ozana,  being 
about  to  abdicate  his  throne,  knew  not  to  which  of 
his  five  sons,  who  were  all  of  equal  merit,  he  should 
resign  his  crown.  At  length,  however,  he  bethought 
of  placing  the  white  umbrella  of  his  royal  state  in  the ' 
midst  of  his  children,  and  at  the  same  time  of  praying 
that  it  might  fall  toward  the  rightful  heir.  Having 
done  this,  the  umbrella  fell  toward  the  prince  Ozana, 
who  was  immediately  crowned  king ;  when,  without 
envy  at  his  exaltation,  the  four  brothers  betook  them- 
selves to  the  monasteries  and  became  priests." 

"  These  legends  are  good,  Seree,  for  they  exhibit 


33 i  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

the  admiration  of  even  warlike  people  of  all  ages  for 
princes  who  rule  by  peace,  love,  and  wisdom,  instead 
of  war,"  said  I. 

"  Truly,  it  is  better  to  be  wise  than  warlike,  yet 
the  four  princes  were  not  so  wise  as  the  prince  Yaza ; 
for,"  added  Seree,  "  Avhen  the  King  Abhira  died,  his 
two  sons  disputed  the  throne,  but  agreed,  by  the  ad- 
vice of  their  respective  officers,  to  let  the  question  be 
decided  in  this  way:  that  each  should  construct  a 
large  building  during  the  same  night,  and  he  whose 
building  should  be  found  completed  by  the  morning, 
should  take  the  throne." 

"  A  queer  style  of  settling  such  a  dispute ;  but  who 
came  off  winner  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Yaza,  the  younger,"  replied  Seree ;  adding,  "  for 
he  used  planks  and  bamboos  only,  and  covered  the 
whole  with  cloth ;  to  which,  by  a  coat  of  whitewash, 
he  gave  the  appearance  of  a  finished  building." 

'•But  this  was  cheating,  not  wisdom,"  said  I. 

As,  however,  Seree  could  no  more  understand  that 
the  two  words  did  not  mean  precisely  the  same  thing 
than  the  rest  of  his  race,  he  but  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders as  if  in  pity,  or  in  contempt  for  my  innocence. 
But  when  we  had  passed  the  temple,  and  arrived  in 
front  of  a  large  house,  which  bore  no  distant  res- 
emblance to  a  wagon  upon  stilts,  he  said — 

"Here  may  the  noble  colar  rest,  for  it  is  the  dwell- 
ing of  Shwe  Maon." 

So  saying,  Seree  sprang  up  the  ladder  like  a  cat  to 
announce  my  arrival;  and  having  been  within  the 
house  for  some  few  minutes,  he  returned  and  begged 


APVENTUEE   WITII   A   KING.  335 

of  me  to  enter.  I  did  so,  but  instantly  sprang  back- 
ward so  far,  that  it  was  miraculous  I  did  not  go 
head  foremost  down  the  ladder  ;  and  certainly  I  do 
not  remember  ever  to  have  been  so  near  fainting, 
either  before  or  since. 

There  were  three  persons  in  the  room — a  man  (I 
thought  at  the  moment  a  baboon),  a  woman,  and  a 
child ;  the  two  former  of  whom  were  crouching  upon 
the  ground,  in  order  to  receive  me  with  respect. 
But  the  first  object,  the  man  who  had  caused  me 
such  a  fright —     "Well,  I  will  describe  him,  if  I  can. 

In  height  he  seemed  to  be  about  five  feet  four 
inches,  and  slenderly  built ;  but  the  whole  of  his 
forehead,  the  cheeks,  the  eyelids,  the  nose,  including 
a  portion  of  the  inside,  the  chin — in  short,  the  whole 
face,  with  the  exception  of  the  red  portion  of  his 
lips, — were  covered  with  fine,  silky,  lank,  silvery 
grey  hair.  On  the  forehead  and  cheeks  this  was 
about  eight  inches  long;  and  on  the  nose  and  chin, 
about  four  inches. 

His  ears,  within  and  without,  were  completely  cov- 
ered with  hair  about  the  same  length  as  that  on  his 
face,  which  chiefly  contributed  to  give  his  whole  ap- 
j^earance,  at  first  sight,  the  unnatural  and  inhuman 
aspect  which  had  terrified  me.  Moreover,  his  entire 
body — for  the  greater  portion  was  exposed — with 
the  exception  of  the  hands  and  feet,  was  covered 
with  the  same  long,  mane-like  hair. 

The  Avoman,  his  wife,  was  an  ordinary-looking 
Barman  female;  but  the  child,  a  little  girl,  was,  like 
its  father,  covered  with  hair. 


336  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

Thus,  you  see  there  was  some  reason  for  my  fright, 
which  I  suppose  the  hirsute  being  must  have  been 
prepared  for,  as  with  a  good-tempered  smile,  and  in 
a  clear,  ringing  voice,  he  said — 

"  The  colar  is  alarmed  at  Swe  Maon." 

What  could  I  reply  ?  Nothing,  for  I  really  felt 
ashamed  for  having  exhibited  disgust  at  his  misfortune. 
Seree,  however,  came  to  my  relief  by  saying — 

"  The  worthy  Shwe  Maon  is  the  friend  of  the  hun- 
ter Mikee." 

"He  is  the  slave  of  the  brave  hunter,  who  saved 
his  life  once  when  he  would  have  been  hunted  to 
death  in  the  woods  as  a  baboon,"  said  Shwe  Maon ; 
adding,  "  but  the  noble  colar  needs  refreshment." 

After  which,  he  spoke  not  another  word  until,  with 
the  aid  of  his  wife,  he  had  placed  before  us  a  good 
meal  of  fish,  rice,  and  tea ;  when,  finding  him  intel- 
ligent, even  above  the  average  of  Burmans,  and, 
moreover,  very  communicative,  my  curiosity  getting 
the  better  of  good  manners,  I  entreated  of  him  to 
tell  me  his  history.     To  which  he  replied — 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  request  of  the 
noble  colar  is  reasonable,  for  it  is  not  possible  that 
he  can  ever  have  seen  a  human  being  so  monstrously 
disfigured." 

"Is  it  possible  that  the  worthy  Shwe  Maon  can 
forget  that  the  elephant,  the  noblest  of  animals,  is  at 
the  same  time  of  most  unshapely  form  ?"  said  Se- 
ree. 

"  The  worthy  Seree  it  is  that  forgets  that  the  noble 
beast  is  not  alone  in  his  unshapeliness,  but  of  a  nu- 


aJDVENTUEE    WITH    A   KING.  837 

merous  tribe,"  replied  this  singular  being,  bitterly 
adding,  to  nie — 

"  Know  then,  O  noble  colar,  that  my  father  was  a 
basket-maker,  in  the  service  of  the  prince  of  that 
part  of  Laos  which  is  nearest  to  the  Saluen  river,  and 
three  months'  journey  from  this  great  city.  When  I 
was  born,  and  until  I  was  six  years  of  age,  with  the 
exception  of  the  hair  upon  my  ears,  I  was  like  the 
rest  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  world.  The  strange 
appearance,  however,  of  my  ears  was  sufficiently  cu- 
rious to  cause  the  Prince  of  Laos  to  present  me  to  the 
Golden  King,  who  had  me  taught  the  tricks  and  to 
climb  like  the  monkey  tribe,  which,  as  day  by  day 
the  hair  upon  my  body  increased,  I  so  strongly  re- 
sembled. So  I  grew  in  the  favor  of  the  Golden 
King,  till,  when  I  had  reached  my  twenty-second 
year,  he  presented  me  with  my  wife,  this  house,  and 
an  income  of  rice  and  fish  sufficient  to  keep  us  ;  for 
all  of  which  gracious  favor  I  am  required  to  amuse 
his  majesty's  lonely  hours  by  my  antics." 

Then  when  he  had  finished  his  story,  I  begged  of 
him  to  tell  me  if,  by  any  chance,  he  had  heard  of  the 
fate  of  my  friend  Mr  Johnson,  at  which,  shrugging 
his  shoulders,  he  said — 

"  The  sahib  Johnson  is  with  the  rest  of  the  rebel 
colars,  in  the  great  prison.  Moreover,  the  Maha 
Silwa,  who  is  greatly  in  the  favor  of  his  majesty,  and 
is  soon  to  depart  to  again  meet  the  army  of  the  inva- 
ders, daily  prays  of  the  Golden  King  to  permit  him 
to  sacrifice  all  the  prisoners  upon  the  altar  of  the 
Nat  of  Victory,  that  his  anns  may  prove  successful." 


333  THE    WHTTE   ELEPHANT. 

"  But  surely  this  cannot  be ;  for  it  is  not  the  sahib 
Johnson  the  friend  of  the  great  Prince  of  Promo, 
who  must  shield  him  from  being  murdered,  even  if 
he  cannot  procure  his  release?"  said  I,  greatly  a- 
larmed  for  the  life  of  my  friend. 

"  The  influence  of  his  Golden  Highness  the  Prince 
is  great,  but  that  of  the  chief  queen  is  all-powerful, 
and  her  majesty's  hatred  of  the  colars  is  so  great, 
that  she  is  even  now  seconding  the  prayer  of  the 
Maha." 

"Then  I  will  throw  myself  at  the  feet  of  the  king, 
and  demand  my  friend's  life,  in  return  for  the  news 
I  carry,"  said  I. 

"  Truly  this  thing  may  not  be,  for  none  dare  ven- 
ture into  the  Golden  presence  and  live,  without  the 
aid  of  a  great  lord  of  the  court." 

"Then  will  I  seek  the  presence  of  his  Highness 
the  Prince  of  Prome  to-morrow,  and  demand  this 
aid  of  him,  for  he  was  my  father's  friend." 

"Even  this  thing,  O  noble  colar,  is  not  possible, 
for  to-morrow  the  elephant  sports  commence,"  said 
Shwe  Maon. 

"  Then  this  thing  is  possible,  O  worthy  Shwe 
Maon,  and  the  noble  colar  is  most  fortunate ;  for  he 
can  present  himself  at  the  gate  of  the  Prince's  pal- 
ace, and  await  the  return  of  his  highness  from  the 
sports,"  said  Seree.  A  course  which  I  at  once  re- 
solved to  adopt. 

The  rest  of  the  evening  was  passed  in  listening  to 
Shwe  Maon's  account  of  the  great  grief  of  the  people 
at  the  death  of  his  Highness  the  late  White  Elephant, 


ADVENTURE   WITH   A   KING.  339 

and,  moreover,  the  details  of  the  funeral  obsequies, 
which  had  been  concluded  two  days  before  our  arri- 
val in  the  city. 

According  to  custom,  the  same  ceremonies  had 
been  performed  at  the  death  and  obsequies  of  this 
animal,  as  those  at  the  demise  of  a  chief  queen  for  it 
was  a  female.  At  its  decease,  as  at  that  of  an  empe- 
ror, it  was  publicly  forbidden,  under  heavy  penalties, 
to  assert  that  it  was  dead  ;  the  law  being  that,  in 
speaking  of  the  lamentable  event,  it  should  be  merely 
asserted,  "  it  has  departed,"  "  or  disappeared." 

"  At  its  obsequies  the  body  was  placed  upon  a 
funeral  pile  of  sassafras,  sandal,  and  other  aromatic 
woods,  then  covered  over  with  similar  materials,  and 
the  pyre  set  on  fire,  with  the  aid  of  four  immense  gilt 
bellows,  placed  at  its  angles.  After  three  days  the 
chief  nobles  gathered  the  ashes  and  remnants  of  the 
bones,  enshrined  them  in  a  golden  urn,  which  was 
buried  in  the  royal  cemetery,  and  over  which  it  was 
intended  to  raise  a  superb  mausoleum,  of  a  pyramidal 
shape  built  of  brick,  richly  painted  and  gilt 


Si-0  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

AN     ELEPHANT     FIGHT,    AND     AN     AUDIENCE     OF     THE 
GOLDEN   FOOT. 

The  next  day  accompanied  by  Seree,  I  joined  with 
the  crowd  on  its  way  to  see  the  sports  at  the  Ele- 
phant Palace ;  a  building  appropriated  for  exhibiting 
— for  the  diversion  of  the  king  and  court — the  taming 
of  elephants. 

It  is  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  about  one  mile  from 
the  city.  The  chief  place  is  a  square  enclosure,  sur- 
rounded everywhere  by  a  double  palisade,  of  immense 
beams  of  teak  timber.  Between  the  palisades  there 
is  a  stone  wall,  fourteen  feet  high,  and  twenty  feet 
in  thickness,  on  the  top  of  which  the  chief  spectators 
seat  themselves  to  witness  the  sport. 

In  the  middle  of  this  enclosure,  which  is  carpeted 
with  greensward,  stands  a  temple,  also  surrounded 
by  a  palisade.  This  building  is  dedicated  to  Udin 
main-so,  who,  in  consequence  of  his  skill  in  taming 
elephants,  was,  at  his  death,  created  a  king  of  Nats, 
and  guardian  and  protector  of  elephant  hunters. 

The  king,  having  taken  his  seat  upon  the  wall,  and 
the  princes,  after  removing  their  shoes,  having  as- 
cended, and  crawled  to  the  right  and  left  sides  of  his 


AN   ELEPHANT   FIGHT.  841 

majesty,  the  signal  was  given  for  the  commencement 
of  the  sport. 

We  had  scarcely  reached  the  top  of  the  wall — of 
course  at  a  great  distance  from  the  king  and  his 
nobles,  and  among  the  common  people — when  Seree 
exclaimed — 

"  They  are  coming !"  and  a  cloud  of  dust  heralded 
the  approach  of  twenty  female  elephants,  who  were, 
partly  by  force,  partly  by  persuasion,  endeavoring  to 
drive  a  wild  male  into  the  enclosure ;  and  when,  after 
about  an  hour,  they  had  succeeded,  and  had  played 
with  him  for  some  time,  the  females  were  with- 
drawn from  the  enclosure,  one  by  one,  and  replaced 
by  unarmed  men,  who,  by  gestures  and  their  hands 
alone,  endeavored  to  provoke  the  beast  to  run  after 
them.  For  a  time  the  animal  withstood  their  efforts 
with  stoical  indifference ;  at  length,  however,  as  if  it 
had  had  more  than  sufficient  of  their  nonsense,  it 
caught  up  one  of  its  tormentors  with  its  trunk,  threw 
him  into  the  air,  and  caught  him  as  he  fell,  upon  its 
tusks ;  then,  with  its  trunk,  placing  the  writhing 
wretch  upon  the  ground,  it  trampled  him  beneath  its 
feet,  to  the  evident  delight  of  all  the  barbarian  audi- 
ence, but  the  king,  who  immediately  retired  from  the 
scene  ;  not,  however  (I  afterward  discovered),  from 
the  same  sensation  of  horror  and  pity  for  the  poor 
fellow  which  for  a  moment  caused  me  to  feel  faint 
and  ill,  but  because  it  is  a  maxim  that  the  sight  of 
blood  is  unfit  for  the  eyes  of  so  sacred  a   personage. 

The  elephant,  having  thus  frightened  the  rest  of 
the  men  from  the  contest,  no  sooner  had  his  majesty 


342  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

retired,  than  twenty  goats  were  driven  into  the  en- 
closure. These  little  animals,  however,  very  cleverly 
managed  to  elude  the  trunk  of  the  elephant ;  nay, 
with  such  ease  and  unconcern,  that  they  began  to 
quarrel  among  themselves. 

At  length  the  elephant,  beginning  to  exhibit  signs 
of  fatigue,  three  tame  males,  each  mounted  by  a 
mahote,  were  brought  in  to  secure  him  ;  an  operation 
easily  effected  by  throwing  ropes  around  his  neck 
and  tusks,  and  then  dragging  him  by  aid  of  the  three 
tame  animals  into  a  shed  without  the  enclosure. 

After  the  removal  of  tli3  elephant  and  the  goats,  I 
witnessed  a  series  of  twenty  boxing-matches  ;  and  al 
though  they  were  very  good  for  Burmans,  they  were 
not  to  be  compared,  either  in  skill  or  indomitable 
pluck,  with  the  brutal  prize-fights  at  the  same  period 
so  disgracefully  common  in  England. 

The  boxers  were  stripped  naked,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  piece  of  red  cloth  tied  around  their  waists, 
and  advanced  into  the  ring  using  provoking  language 
and  gestures.  They  closed  almost  immediately,  and 
wrestled,  using,  in  the  meantime,  their  hands  and 
feet  with  considerable  adroitness.  The  fight  consist- 
ed of  three  rounds,  unless  decided  earlier  by  some 
obvious  advantage  on  one  side,  and  by  the  umpire, 
who  sat  in  the  ring.  These  boxing-matches  among 
the  Burmans  are  much  more  humane  than  those  once 
common  in  this  country,  for  the  loss  of  a  single  drop 
of  blood  is  considered  to  be  the  loss  of  the  battle. 
This  rule,  however,  is  the  cause  of  much  amusement, 
for,  to  determine  this  point,  the  umpire  frequently 


AN   ELEPHANT    FIGHT.  343 

stops  the  fight  to  make  a  minute  examination  of  the 
mouths  of  the  combatants;  and  as  he  who  has  but  a 
scratched  skin  sedulously  endeavors  to  hide  the 
wound,  when  detection  takes  place  the  audience  be- 
come aroused  to  merriment. 

At  the  close  of  the  combats,  the  Prince  of  Prome, 
as  representative  of  the  king,  presented  dresses  as 
prizes  to  both  winners  and  losers,  and  so  brought  the 
entertainments  to  a  conclusion. 

Boxing  and  wrestling  are  favorite  pastimes  among 
the  Burmans ;  yet,  strangely  for  a  people  barbarous, 
cruel,  and  brave,  in  these  they  exhibit  a  humanity 
which  more  highly  civilized  peoples  would  do  well  to 
copy.  The  envoy  Crawford,  who  witnessed  a  series 
of  boxing-matches,  writes  : — 

"  These  were,  after  all,  but  bloodless  combats,  and 
were  evidently  not  intended  to  be  otherwise ;  for 
when  there  appeared  the  least  risk  of  mischief  being 
done  from  the  irritation  of  the  combatants,  they  were 
carefully  parted  by  the  umpires  and  their  assistants. 
Notwithstanding  the  partiality  of  the  Burmans  to 
such  exhibitions,  one  of  our  English  battles  would 
shock  them  exceedingly. 

"  During  the  many  encounters  which  took  place 
upon  the  present  occasion,  no  serious  accident  took 
place ;  and  I  saw  but  one  instance  where  one  of  the 
combatants  was  temporarily  disabled ;  this  was  oc- 
casioned by  a  blow  with  the  knee,  given  by  his  an- 
tagonist in  the  mouth,  which  knocked  him  down, 
but  it  was  inflicted  with  so  much  dexterity  that  we 
could  scarcely  perceive  how  it  was  done.    It,  however 


Stt-i  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

excited  great  applause,  not  only  in  the  ring,  but  among 
the  nobles." 

"  Let  ua  now  hasten  to  the  palace  of  the  prince, 
that  we  may  reach  the  gates  before  the  arrival  of  his 
highness,"  said  I. 

"  Truly,  it  will  be  wise,  for  the  prince  is  even  now 
preparing  to  depart,"  replied  Seree. 

And  so  descending  from  the  wall,  we  mixed  with 
the  stream  of  human  beings  which  was  now  flowing- 
back  to  Ava. 

Having  passed  through  the  greater  part  of  the  city, 
Seree  led  me  through  a  narrow  and  almost  untenan- 
ted street,  as  he  said,  by  a  nearer  route.  However 
that  might  have  been,  we  had  not  reached  half  way 
down  this  street  before  we  were  overtaken  by  the 
retinue  of  some  great  man,  headed  by  an  officer,  who 
cried  to  us  to  fall  upon  our  faces  while  his  mighty 
master,  the  brother  of  the  Golden  King,  the  Prince 
of  Prome,  passed. 

"The  Prince  of  Prome!"  I  exclaimed,  jumping  to 
my  feet ;  for,  like  the  rest  of  the  passers  by,  I  had  o- 
beyed  the  officer's  command. 

"  Does  the  slave  laugh  at  us  ?"  said  the  officer,  at 
the  same  time  striking  me  upon  the  head  with  a 
bamboo. 

Now  although  his  highness  was  a  great  man,  I  do 
not  think  I  should  have  received  a  blow  from  his  own 
hand  without  a  proper  acknowledgement,  but  a  blow 
from  a  miserable,  tawdry,  half  clad  Burman  official, 
that  indeed  was  beyond  my  philosophy  to  endure ; 
so,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  and  perhaps  under 


AN   ELEPHANT   FIGHT.  345 

the  inspiration  of  the  scenes  I  had  not  long  before 
witnessed,  I  acknowledged  his  favor  "by  a  receipt  in 
full  between  his  eyes,  which  sent  him  beneath  the 
elephant  upon  which  the  prince  Avas  mounted,  and 
where,  recovering  himself,  he  sat  in  a  state  of  aston- 
ishment upon  his  hind  quarters,  with  his  head  up- 
ward, and  supporting  himself  by  his  hands  in  a 
position  not  unlike  that  of  a  frog  expectant  of  rain, 
crying  to  the  attendants,  "  Seize  the  rogue — seize  the 
rogue." 

And  dearly  should  I  have  paid  for  my  temerity, 
for  a  dozen  swords  were  at  my  breast,  but  for  the 
prince,  who,  with  scarcely  less  astonishment  depicted 
upon  his  countenance  than  that  of  his  officer  exclaim- 
ed— 

"  The  youth  is  bold.     Whose  dog  is  he  ?" 

"  A  colar  rebel,"  exclaimed  the  officer,  now  resum 
ing  the  proper  use  of  his  legs. 

"  Let  him  be  spread  out  in  the  suns"  said  one  of 
the  soldiers. 

"He  merits  to  be  trodden  to  death,  by  the  ele- 
phants," said  another. 

But  to  the  surprise  of  the  whole  party,  the  prince— 
who,  I  suppose,  was  in  a  good  temper  at  the  time, 
and  so  much  amused  that  it  was  really  wonderful 
that  he  did  not  command  me  to  repeat  the  perform- 
ance— ordered  the  soldiers  to  let  me  alone. 

Gaining  confidence  from  this  order,  and  the  sood- 
natured  smile  upon  the  prince's  countenance,  I  pluck- 
ed from  my  breast  the  palm-leaf  document  which 
had  been  given  to  me  by  Mikee,  and  threw  it  into 


346  TEE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

the  lap  of  his  highness,  who,  having  glanced  at  the 
characters  written  thereon,  said — 

"  The  youth  brings  great  intelligence,  aud  should 
he  honored.     Let  him  follow  us  to  the  palace." 

Whereupon  the  attendants  moved  forward ;  and 
as  Ave  proceeded  they  bowed  and  smiled,  and  at 
times  gazed  at  me  as  if  they  believed  me  to  be  a 
beloo,  or  devil ;  for  no  other,  in  their  opinion,  could 
have  secured  the  friendship  and  favor  of  so  mighty  a 
personage  as  their  master  by  thrusting  his  chief  offi- 
cer beneath  the  feet  of  his  elephant. 

Arriving  at  the  palace,  the  prince  commanded  me 
to  await  in  the  outer  apartment  until  he  sent  an 
officer  to  conduct  me  to  his  presence.  This  happened 
in  about  an  hour,  when,  having  removed  my  shoes,  a 
gentleman  of  the  household  conducted  me  into  a  spa- 
cious room,  where  his  highness  was  sitting  upon  a 
sofa — not  after  the  fashion  of  Asiatics,  cross-legged, 
but  in  the  European  manner — indulging  in  the  use 
of  betel-nut. 

At  a  sign  from  the  prince,  the  attendants  left  the 
room  when  he  ordered  me  to  seat  myself  upon  the 
mat  before  him,  and  relate  the  particulars  of  the  cap- 
ture of  the  White  Elephant;  a  command  I  readily 
obeyed,  at  the  same  time  not  forgetting  to  give  the 
entire  credit  of  the  discovery  and  taking  to  Mikee. 

"  Truly,"  said  his  highness,  when  I  had  concluded, 
*'  this  Carian  is  a  great  hunter,  and  deserves,  that 
the  rest  of  his  days  should  be  fortunate.  But  the 
brave  youth  who  shared  in  the  dangers  of  the  hunt, 
and  is  the  first  to  bring  the  good  news,  merits  reward. 


AN   ELEPHANT   FIGHT.  347 

Thinking  this  an  opportunity  for  making  myself 
known,  I  said — 

"  Thy  servant,  O  noble  prince,  seeks  not  to  take 
from  the  merit  and  reward  of  the  brave  Carian." 

"  Is  it  possible  that  a  person  can  be  found  so  un- 
reasonable as  to  refuse  honor  ?"  said  the  prince, 
lifting  his  eyelids  with  astonishment. 

"  It  is  justice,  justice  alone,  O  noble  prince,  that 
is  now  sought  by " 

"The  young  sahib  Oliver,  the  son  of  our  friend 
the  late  sahib,"  said  his  highness,  interrupting  me. 

The  son  of  the  late  friend  of  the  noble  Prince  of 
Prome  is  known  to  his  highness  ?"  said  I. 

"  The  brother  of  the  Golden  King  has  eyes  and 
ears  throughout  the  earth,"  was  the  proud  and  truly 
Oriental  reply. 

And  as  I  felt  that  now  or  never  was  the  time  to  be 
bold,  I  said — 

"  The  great  prince,  then,  must  know  that  his  servant 
seeks  the  release  of  the  sahib  Johnson,  who  is  now 
in  chains,  and  the  merchandize  and  silver  of  his  late 
parent." 

"  The  sahib  Johnson  was  once  the  friend  of  the 
king's  brother;  but  when  he  repaid  our  favor  by 
aiding  his  rebel  countrymen  to  place  their  dogs' 
feet  upon  the  sacred  soil  of  the  Golden  Foot,  his 
majesty  commanded  him  to  be  put  to  death." 

Although  greatly  alarmed  at  this  intelligence,  I 
did  not  believe  it  to  be  other  than  a  threat ;  perhaps, 
too,  I  thought,  to  extort  money,  for  the  kings  and 
princes,  like  the  slaves   and   ministers  of  Burmans, 


348  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

will  enter  upon  no  negotiation  that  has  not  self-inter- 
est for  at  least  a  portion  of  its  basis.  It  was  a  fortu- 
nate thought,  and  made  me  bolder,  so  I  said — 

"  The  liberty  of  the  sahib  Johnson,  who  is  as  the 
father  of  thy  servant,  is  of  more  value  in  the  eyes  of 
thy  servant,  O  great  prince,  than  the  merchandise 
and  flowered  silver  of  the  late  sahib  Oliver." 

"  The  life  of  the  sahib  Johnson,  as  also  the  silver 
and  merchandise  of  the  youth's  late  parent,  depend 
upon  the  breath  of  the  Golden  King,"  was  the  eva- 
sive reply. 

But  the  mighty  prince  is  loved  by  his  Golden 
brother,  and  possesses  influence.  Let  him,  there 
fore  deign  to  use  it  in  favor  of  the  orphan  of  his 
friend." 

"  The  youth  is  wise  for  his  years,  and  knows  that 
it  is  but  of  little  use  to  cry  for  water  that  has  been 
poured  into  a  colander ;  therefore,  since  he  seeks  not 
to  offend  the  Golden  ears  by  asking  for  his  parent's 
fortune,  his  eyes  shall  rest  upon  the  countenance  of 
the  king,  who  will  do  him  honor  for  being  the 
bearer  of  great  news,"  replied  the  prince,  taking  my 
bait. 

And  thus  did  he  covertly  and  secretly  accept  or 
rather  retain  my  money,  in  return  for  the  life  of  my 
friend,  of  whose  safety  I  now  felt  sure.  Then  per- 
ceiving his  highness  yawn,  as  if  the  audience  had 
become  tedious  to  him — and  it  takes  but  little  to  tire 
an  Asiatic  prince — I  made  my  shi-ko ;  when  his  high 
ness,  touching  a  silver  bell,  a  chamberlain  made  hia- 
appearance,  whom  he  ordered  to  conduct  me  to  the 


AN   ELEPHANT   FIGHT.  349 

Louse  of  visitors,  a  small  gilded  building  within  the 
grounds  of  the  palace,  whei*e  it  was  his  custom  to 
lodge  those  whom  he  desired  to  honor. 

The  same  evening  I  received  another  mark  of  the 
prince's  favor,  in  the  shape  of  a  state  dress  of  crimson 
velvet  laced  with  gold,  from  his  own  wardrobe,  in 
which  I  was  to  appear  at  court  the  following  morning, 
but  was  to  wear  that  evening  at  a  theatrical  enter- 
tainment which  he  was  about  to  give  in  honor  of  the 
festive  time,  and  to  which  it  had  pleased  his  highness 
to  invite  me. 

At  eight  o'clock,  the  hour  the  play  was  to  commence 
I  proceeded  to  witness  the  performance,  accompanied 
by  two  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  prince's  household. 
The  theatre  was  uncovered, — indeed,  it  was  the  open 
court  of  the  palace, — but  splendidly  illuminated  by 
lamps  and  torches  ;  in  fact,  not  unlike  in  appearance 
one  of  our  own  public  gardens. 

I  was  conducted  to  a  seat  raised  about  two  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  covered  with  rich  carpet,  just 
beneath  the  raised,  gilded,  and  canopied  throne  pre- 
pared for  his  highness,  while  a  crowd  of  spectators 
stood  around  the  stage. 

The  appearance  of  the  prince  and  his  wife  was  the 
signal  for  the  commencement  of  the  amusements 
which  consisted  of  the  performance  of  an  eminent 
Siamese  mimic,  who  delighted  the  audience  by  his 
wonderful  delineations  of  the  passions — now  making 
them  grave,  then  sad — changing  his  countenance  and 
gestures  from  pain  to  pleasure,  from  joy  to  despair, 
from  rage  to  mildness,  and  from  laughter  to  tears 


350  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

with  a  rapidity  and  truthfulness  that  would  have  done 
honor  to  a  London  theatre. 

After  this  performance,  we  were  treated  to  a  gen- 
uine Burman  play,  also  acted  by  Siamese  artists ;  the 
the  story  or  fable  of  which  was  taken  from  one  of 
their  sacred  books,  and  represented  the  battles  of  a 
mythological  personage  called  the  holy  Ram,  with 
the  chief  of  the  demons,  who  had  carried  away  Ram's 
wife  by  means  of  enchantment. 

Of  course,  like  all  heroes,  Ram  meets  with  many 
changes  of  fortune  in  the  attempt  to  recover  his  wife ; 
but  at  length,  being  wounded  by  a  poisoned  arrow, 
the  medical  sages  discover  that  the  only  antidote  to 
the  poison  is  to  be  found  in  a  tree  upon  the  summit 
of  a  mountain,  at  so  great  a  distance  that  to  procure 
it  seems  impossible.  Fortunately,  however,  in  this 
strait,  Hoonyman  the  ape-god  makes  his  appearance 
and  volunteers  to  fetch  it ;  but  when  the  illustrious 
ape  gets  to  the  mountain,  he  finds  so  many  trees  that 
he  knows  not  which  to  choose.  To  prevent  mistakes 
he  takes  up  one  half  the  mountain  upon  his  shoulders, 
and  with  the  greatest  possible  ease  transports  it  to 
the  doctor's,  who  there  and  then  curing  the  Ram,  the 
enchantment  of  the  lady  becomes  dissolved,  and  she 
is  very  properly  restored  to  the  bosom  of  her  family, 
greatly  to  the  delight  of  herself,  Ram,  the  audience, 
and  especially  myself,  for  I  had  become  very  tired  of 
the  whole  affair  by  the  time  it  had  concluded. 


A    SURPRISE.  351 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

AN    INTERVIEW   WITH    THE   GOLDEN  FOOT — A    SUR- 
PRISE. 

The  next  day  being  a  levee,  or  "  Ask-pardon  day," 
so  called  because  upon  that  occasion  the  great  nobil- 
ity proceed  to  court  to  ask  of  the  great  king  pardon 
for  their  hidden  as  well  as  known  offences,  and  also 
to  make  presents,  I  was  to  be  presented  at  court. 

In  honor  to  the  rank  of  the  Prince  of  Prome,  the 
procession  of  nobles  was  formed  at  his  palace.  His 
highness  was  carried  in  a  conopied  sedan,  surrounded 
by  ten  golden  umbrellas,  and  followed  by  his  state 
elephants,  led  horses,  and  soldiers  to  the  number  of 
about  four  hundred.  Then  followed  the  other  prin- 
ces of  the  blood,  and  their  numerous  retainers,  the 
masters  being  attired  in  their  crimson  robes,  and 
wearing  golden  crowns,  in  front  of  which  each  wore 
their  titles. 

The  procession  being  formed,  and  myself  placed 
upon  one  of  the  elephants,  near  the  Prince,  it  advanc- 
ed at  a  slow  pace,  so  as  not  to  distress  the  bearers  of 
presents.  The  houses  in  the  streets  through  which 
we  passed  were  low,  built  of  wood,  and  covered  with 
tiles,  and  had  been  prepared  for  the  occasion,  being 
fresh  whitewashed  and  decorated  with  boughs  and 


352  THE    WHITE    ELEPHANT. 

flowers  ;  and  the  shops  were  crowded  with  their  most 
costly  goods.  In  front  of  each  house  was  a  slight 
latticed  railing  of  bamboo,  over  which  was  apread  a 
shade  of  bamboo  mats,  that  reached  from  the  eaves  of 
the  dwellings  to  the  railing,  so  forming  a  covered 
balcony,  every  one  of  which  was  crowded  with  spec- 
tators, men  and  women  indiscriminately.  Boys  sat 
on  the  tops  of  the  houses,  and  the  streets  were  so 
thronged  as  to  leave  but  sufficient  space  for  the 
procession  to  move  without  interruption. 

To  me,  a  very  comical  part  of  the  scene  was  the 
posture  winch  the  multitude  preserved.  Every  per- 
son, as  soon  as  we  came  in  sight,  squatted  on  his 
hams,  and  continued  in  that  attitude  till  we  had  passed 
by  :  this  was  an  indication  of  high  respect.  Through- 
out the  crowd  there  was  no  disturbance,  or  any 
extraordinary  noise ;  the  populace  gazed  in  silence, 
but  did  not  attempt  to  follow  us  ;  and  in  this  order 
we  reached  the  royal  abode. 

That  portion  of  the  palace  which  contained  the 
Hall  of  Audience  consisted  of  a  centre  and  two  wings ; 
the  first  containing  the  throne,  and  directly  fronting 
the  outer  gates.  The  building  was  of  wood,  excep- 
ting its  many  roofs,  which  were  covered  with  plates 
of  tin  in  lieu  of  tiles.  Over  the  centre  was  a  tall, 
handsome  spire,  called  by  the  Burmans  Pyat-that, 
crowned  by  the  tee,  or  iron  umbrella,  which  as  I  have 
said,  is  an  exclusive  ornament  of  the  temple  and 
palace. 

The  Hall  of  Audience  itself  was  without  walls, 
and  open  all  round,  except  where    the  throne  was 


a  suepeisl:.  31 


53 


placed.  The  roof  was  supported  by  a  great  number 
of  handsome  pillars,  richly  and  tastefully  carved; 
while  the  whole  fabric  was  raised  some  twelve  feet 
high;  upon  a  terrace  of  stone  and  lime,  so  smooth  and 
highly-polished  that  I  mistook  it  for  marble ;  further 
there  were  three  entrances,  one  at  each  wing,  and 
the  other,  which  was  appropriated  to  the  sole  use  of 
the  king  in  the  middle. 

Stopping  before  the  royal  entrance,  the  officers  of 
state  dismounted,  and  leaving  their  retinue,  umbrellas, 
and  litters  outside,  followed  the  Prince  of  Prome,  who 
led  the  way  to  the  presence  chamber,  when  the  party 
filed  off  to  the  right  and  left,  myself  among  the  latter, 
leaving  the  princes  alone  in  front,  and  near  the  throne, 
before  which  all  squatted  upon  their  hams,  in  such  a 
position  as  not  to  exhibit  the  soles  of  their  feet ;  to 
have  done  which  in  the  presence  of  royalty  would 
have  been  considered  akin  to  treason. 

Gorgeous  as  was  the  hall  itself,  it  was  exceeded  in 
show  and  richness  by  the  throne,  which  stood  at  the 
back  of  the  hall,  beneath  a  canopy  fringed  with  gold, 
upon  a  pedestal  of  mosaic,  mirrors,  colored  glass,  and 
silver. 

For  about  ten  minutes  the  audience  sat  looking 
wistfully  at  the  lattice-door  at  the  back  of  the  throne, 
when  the  music  commenced,  and  shortly  afterward 
the  Golden  King,  my  friend  of  the  pickback,  made 
his  appearance,  tottering  beneath  the  great  weight 
of  his  robes  ;  but  that  his  walk  was  a  little  unsteady, 
you  will  not  Avonder,  when  I  tell  you  he  wore  a  tu- 
nic decorated  so   plentifully  with  rubies,  sapphires 


354:  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

and  other  precious  stones,  that  there  was  not  the 
space  of  a  finger  to  spare.  His  crown,  which  was 
shaped  like  the  spire  of  a  Barman  pagoda,  was  of 
solid  gold,  and  studded  with  jewels ;  while  in  his  hand 
he  held  a  ehowrie,  that  is,  the  white  tail  of  a  Thibe- 
tian  cow.  This  ehowrie  is  one  of  the  five  important 
symbols  of  Burmese  royalty.  The  other  four  being 
an  ornament  for  the  forehead,  a  sword  of  state,  a 
queerly-shaped  pair  of  shoes,  and  the  white  umbrella. 

Splendid,  however,  as  was  the  dress  of  the  Bur- 
mese monarch,  he  seemed  to  have  strange  notions  of 
dignity,at  least  that  dignity  with  whichEngland's  mon- 
archs  comport  themselves,  and  of  which  even  I  know 
no  more  than  what  I  have  observed  in  illustrated 
histories,  where  the  pictures  lead  you  to  believe  that 
the  monarch  (being  once  made  up  to  look  like  a 
king),  with  sceptre  in  hand,  and  crown  on  head,  he 
thus  stiffly  passes  the  rest  of  his  life.  But  be  this  as 
it  may,  the  king  of  Ava,  seeming  to  have  more  re- 
gard for  his  rich  dress  than  his  dignity,  had  no 
sooner  ascended  the  steps  than  he  flapped  the  sacred 
cow's  tail  backward  and  forward  upon  the  royal 
scat  for  about  five  minutes ;  after  which,  as  if  satis- 
fied he  had  removed  all  the  dust,  he  adjusted  his 
robes  and  sat  down,  whereupon  the  Avhole  audience 
joined  their  hands  above  their  heads,  and  knocked 
the  ground  three  times  with  their  foreheads. 

As  soon  as  his  majesty  had  made  himself  as  com- 
fortable as  Avas  possible,  under  such  gorgeous  circum- 
stances, the  queen,  quite  as  weightily  and  richly  at- 
tired in  silk  velvet,  gold,  and  jewels,  ascended  the 


A  SURPRISE.  355 

stops,  and  took  her  seat  by  the  side  of  her  royal 
husband,  being  probably  the  only  queen  who  ever 
occupied  such  a  position,  in  not  only  the  Barman, 
but  any  Oriental  court;  but  then  her  majesty  was 
rather  an  extraordinary  personage. 

It  was  said  that  she  was  of  humble  origin  :  indeed, 
the  daughter  of  the  chief  gaoler  of  Ava.  As  queen, 
however,  she  had  so  entwined  herself  around  the 
heart  of  his  majesty,  that  he  rarely  went  abroad,  or 
showed  himself  to  his  people  without  being  accom- 
panied by  her.  On  the  most  solemn  and  important 
occasions  she  sat  with  him  on  the  throne,  and  in 
public  processions  her  vehicle  was  carried  by  the  side 
of  his  majesty's;  and  even  when  they  were  spoken 
of,  the  customary  form  of  expression  was,  not  the 
king  raid  queen,  but  the  "  two  sovereign  lords." 

When  the  royal  lady  had  taken  her  seat  upon 
the  throne,  and  received  the  homage  of  the  audience, 
a  band  of  Brahmin  soothsayers,  who  stood  behind 
the  throne  in  white  caps  and  robes  trimmed  with 
gold,  chanted  a  hymn,  after  which  the  Than  d'hau- 
gan,  that  is,  reporter  of  the  palace,  sang,  in  a  sonorous 
voice,  the  list  of  offerings  his  majesty  had  made  to 
the  pagodas  of  the  city. 

And  this,  the  first  portion  of  the  ceremony  being 
accomplished,  the  present-making  and  pardon-asking 
of  the  tributary  princes,  nobles,  and  merchants  was 
initiated  by  the  Prince  of  Pronie,  who  delivered  an 
oration,  which,  although  the  common  form  of  ad- 
dressing the  Burmese  king,  so  far  surpasses  in  ex- 
travagance the  forms  of  all  other  Eastern  nations, 


356  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT, 

that  I  will  repeat  it  for  your  edification.     Thus  it 


ran 


"Most  excellent,  glorious  sovereign  of  land  and 
sea,  lord  of  the  celestial  elephant,  lord  of  all  White 
Elephants,  master  of  the  supernatural  weapon, 
sovereign  controller  of  the  present  state  of  existence, 
great  king  of  righteousness,  object  of  worship, — on 
this  excellent,  propitious  occasion,  when  your  majesty, 
at  the  close  of  Lent,  grants  forgiveness,  thy  servant, 
the  Prince  of  Prome,  under  the  excellent  Golden 
Foot,  makes  submission  and  tenders  offerings  of  ex- 
piation." 

Then,  having  repeated  a  fist  of  the  presents,  the 
prince  took  from  the  hands  of  a  noble  a  few  grains 
of  rice,  and  again  performed  the  shiko,  in  token  of 
his  homage  and  submission. 

The  same  ceremony  having  been  performed  by  the 
other  princes,  nobles,  and  merchants,  in  the  order  of 
their  rank,  his  majesty  arose,  and  trembling  as  before 
beneath  his  covering  of  jewels  and  gold,  tottered 
down  the  steps  most  unmajestically,  yawning  at  the 
tedium  of  the  gorgeous  burlesque,  in  which,  although 
silent,  he  had  been  the  principal  performer.  The 
queen  followed,  and  then  the  princes  and  nobles  arose 
and  took  their  departure  in  the  order  of  state  in 
which  they  had  arrived.  All,  I  should  have  said,  but 
the  Prince  of  Promo,  who,  waiting  till  the  others  had 
left  the  Hall  of  Audience,  then  beckoned  to  me  to 
follow  him  through  a  door  at  the  back  of  the  throne, 
which  led  into  the  vestibule  or  anteroom  of  the  inner 
palace,  when,  motioning  to  me  to  remain,  he  left  me 


A   SUKPKISE.  357 

pondering  as  to  whether  he  had  or  had  not  gone  to 
procure  me  a  private  audience. 

I  had  waited  about  an  hour  when  a  richly-attired 
personage,  whom  I  afterward  found  to  have  been 
one  of  the  royal  chamberlains,  led  me  through  a  suite 
of  rooms  into  a  large  apartment,  where  I  saw  dancing- 
girls  and  female  minstrels,  crowned  with  pagoda- 
shaped  tiaras,  like  those  worn  by  the  nobles. 

At  the  extreme  end  of  this  room  was  the  royal 
sofa,  ornamented  with  gilding  and  looking-glass ;  and 
near  to  hand  a  crimson  and  yellow  rug,  upon  which 
were  placed  the  golden  sword-holder,  spittoon,  betel- 
box,  and  many  other  small  ornaments  of  the  same 
metal,  inlaid  with  gems. 

These  royal  playthings  were  really  very  handsome 
specimens  of  Burman  artifice ;  but  while  I  was  ex- 
amining them  the  music  struck  up,  some  guards  en- 
tered by  a  small  door  near  the  sofa,  and  squatted 
down  upon  their  hams,  as  indeed  did  all  present,  and 
the  king  made  his  appearance — no  longer  the  jew- 
elled and  golden  dummy  of  the  Audience  Hall,  but 
clad  in  a  robe  of  white  muslin,  across  which  was 
thrown  the  nine-stringed  and  splendidly-jewelled 
tslao,  with  a  head-dress  of  a  similar  material ;  and, 
moreover,  as  lively  and  merry-looking  as  when  I  had 
seen  him  taking  pickback  exercise  in  the  front  of  his 
palace. 

When  his  majesty  had  thrown  himself  upon  the 
sofa,  and  had  begun  to  chew  his  betel-nut,  the  chief 
minister  crawled  toward  the  royal  feet,  and  with 
tremulous  voice,  said — 


353  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

"May  the  meanest  of  the  slaves  of  the  magnificent 
Golden  Foot  speak  and  live?" 

"  Does  the  dog  dare  bring  to  us  ill  news  in  our 
hours  of  relaxation,  that  he  fears  to  speak?"  said  the 
king. 

"Alas!  O  king,  one  of  thy  armies  has  been  sur- 
prised by  the  rebel  colars." 

"Who,  of  course,  have  been  all  slain  by  our  brave 
soldiers,"  said  the  king. 

"  Alas!  if  I  may  utter  the  words  and  live,  it  is  not 
so,  O  great  king ;  for  the  rebels  were  so  numerous, 
that  they  dispersed  the  soldiers  and  slew  thy  brave 
general." 

"  Truly,  then,  he  merited  his  death ;  for  why  didn't 
the  fool  run  away,"  said  his  heroic  majesty,  and  his 
reply  is  chronicled  in  history. 

The  king  then  waived  his  hand  as  a  sign  that  the 
audience  was  ended,  but  the  minister  said — 

"Truly,  O  great  sovereign,  the  empire  is  being 
ravaged  alike  by  friends  and  enemies ;  for  not  only 
are  the  rebel  colars  advancing,  but  the  two  great 
chiefs  of  Laos,  your  majesty's  tributaries,  are  destroy- 
ing each  other's  territories,  and  each  demands  the 
aid  of  the  Golden  Foot  to  subdue  his  enemy." 

"  This  is  another  affair,  and  demands  our  attention, 
replied  the  king,  seriously ;  adding,  to  the  Prince  of 
Prome,  "  Is  it  possible  that  our  wise  brother  has  no 
plan  for  subduing  both  these  chiefs,  who  are  troub- 
ling us  with  their  quarrels  ?" 

To  which  the  prince,  first  crawling  nearer  the  sofa, 
replied — 


A   SURPRISE.  '       359 

"  It  once  happened,  O  king  and  brother,  that  two 
cocks  of  equal  strength  began  fighting  in  the  presence 
of  a  countryman ;  after  continuing  their  combat  for 
some  time,  they  were  so  overcome  by  their  exertions, 
that  they  were  unable  to  do  anything  more,  when 
the  countryman  sprang  upon  them,  and  made  himself 
master  of  both.  Thus  ought  you,  O  king !  to  do  at 
present.  Let  these  two  troublesome  princes  fight  with 
each  other  till  you  see  that  their  resources  are  ex- 
hausted, and  then,  pouncing  upon  them,  seize  their 
territories  for  your  royal  self,  and  so  all  trouble  in 
that  quarter  will  find  an  easy  ending." 

"The  wisdom  of  my  brother  is  as  brilliant  as  the 
chiefest  jewel  in  our  crown;  so  let  the  affair  be  set- 
tled," replied  the  lazy  monarch,  again  waiving  his 
hand  to  the  minister,  who  then  shikoed  and  took  his 
departure. 

It  was  then  that  the  prince  seized  the  opportunity 
of  commanding  me  to  come  forward  and  pour  into 
the  Golden  ears  the  refreshing  news  of  which  I  was 
the  bearer.  I  obeyed;  and  while  I  repeated  the 
history  of  the  taking  of  the  White  Elephant,  his 
majesty  listened  so  attentively,  and  with  such  joyous 
countenance,  that  my  hopes  arose  very  high  in  my 
heart,  even  to  the  restoration  of  my  property,  as  well 
as  the  liberty  of  my  friend.  Guess,  therefore,  my 
astonishment,  when,  at  the  conclusion,  the  king, 
without  even  deigning  to  look  at  me,  but  addressing 
the  prince,  said — 

"  The  happy  discovery  of  the  sacred  beast  again 
^  restores  us  to  our  rank  as  the  greatest  of  the  kings  of 


360  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

the  earth,  and  great  is  the  merit  of  the  Carian  hun- 
ter, who  shall  he  made  mighty  among  men ;  but  what 
dog's  son  is  this  who  dares  bring  stale  news  to  our 
Golden  ears." 

Enraged  beyond  all  prudence  by  this  reply,  I  said 
— "Stale  news,  O  king!  How  can  this  thing  be 
possible,  when  deputed  by  the  brave  hunter  himself, 
whom  I  aided  to  capture  the  sacred  beast,  to  bring 
the  intelligence  to  your  majesty.  Thy  servant  hath 
rested  upon  his  way  but  time  sufficient  to  recruit 
nature." 

"Truly,  O  king  and  brother,  the  words  of  the 
youth  are  straight  as  the  flight  of  the  arrow,"  inter- 
posed the  Prince  of  Prome,  at  the  same  time  hand- 
ing to  his  majesty  the  palm-leaf  which  I  had  entrust- 
ed to  his  highness's  care. 

"  Ah !  then  the  other  dog  deceived  us,"  said  the 
king,  upon  examining  the  leaf;  adding,  "let  the 
rogue  be  brought  forth."  And  I  received  another 
and  greater  surprise,  for  among  the  people  at  the 
other  end  of  the  apartment  came  forward — Naon 
Myat. 

Not,  however,  in  the  attire  becoming  the  slave  of 
the  Prince  of  Prome,  but  in  the  rich  garb  of  one  who 
had  received  the  king's  favor. 

"  This  rogue,  O  king  and  brother,  is  my  slave.  I 
sent  him  to  the  city  of  Rangoon  to  bring  to  Ava  the 
youth  before  thee  ;  but  the  dog  fled  from  his  charge, 
and  should  be  punished  with  the  loss  of  his  miserable 
life,"  said  the  prince. 

"  The  wisdom  of  our  brother  is  great,  and  his  name 


A    SURPRISE.  361 

is  engraven  upon  our  heart.  Yet  this  thing  may  not 
be ;  for  this  fellow,  dog  though  he  be,  being  the  first 
to  pour  such  glorious  news  into  our  ears,  must  hence- 
forth be  free,"  replied  the  king. 

"  O  king  and  brother,  let  not  thy  royal  eyes  be 
blind  to  justice.  This  rogue  of  a  slave  must  have 
stolen  the  glorious  news,  for,  as  thou  hast  seen,  this 
youth  is  the  only  person  deputed  by  the  now  illus- 
trious Carian  to  convey  to  thy  ears  the  intelligence," 
said  the  prince. 

"Has  the  dog  no  reply?"  said  the  king,  addressing 
Naon. 

"The  colar  boy  is  a  rebel,  and  in  league  with  the 
traitors  now  in  chains  awaiting  the  Golden  King's 
mercy.  Moreover,  great  king,  he  is  a  rogue,  for  he 
stole  from  thy  servant  the  palm-leaf  message  which 
was  entrusted  to  thy  slave,"  replied  Naon,  as  demurely 
as  if  he  had  been  speaking  the  truth. 

"Ah!  this  thing  is  possible,  my  brother,  and 
accounts  for  this  boy  having  possession  of  the  palm- 
leaf,"  replied  his  sapient  majesty,  with  evident  de- 
light. 

The  prince,  however,  shook  his  head,  saying — 

"  This  is  not  possible,  O  king  and  brother,  for  the 
youth  has  said  it ;  and  these  Western  colars  are  as 
celebrated  for  their  foolishness  in  always  telling  the 
truth,  as  we  Burmans  are  for  our  wisdom  in  keeping 
the  truth  secret  when  it  answers  a  purpose." 

"Then  is  thy  slave  foolish,  for  he  has  told  the  truth," 
said  Naon,  again. 

And  this  aroused  me  from  the  state  of  indignant 


362  THE    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

stupor  into  which  his  assertion  had  plunged  me,  and 
I  exclaimed — 

"  Thou  treacherous  rogue " 

But  before  I  could  conclude  the  sentence,  the  king, 
who  preferred  having  to  reward  Naon  than  one  of 
his  own  enemies,  and  who,  moreover,  had  now  be- 
come puzzled,  said — 

"  When  two  slaves  assert  their  claim  to  an  honor, 
which  can  only  belong  to  one,  who  shall  decide?" 
said  the  king. 

"  The  illustrious  Carian  himself,0  king  and  brother," 
suggested  the  prince. 

"Truly,  thy  advice  is  good,"  said  his  majesty; 
adding,  "let  them  both  be  secured  in  the  jn-ison 
stocks  until  the  arrival  in  the  city  of  the  great  and 
fortunate  hunter,  Avhose  duty  it  shall  be  to  decide, 
when  the  reward  and  the  punishment  shall  be  both 
meted  out  as  they  are  found  to  be  deserved." 

"  Truly,  the  wisdom  and  justice  of  the  Golden 
King  shineth  as  brilliantly  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens," 
said  the  prince,  as  I  thought,  with  a  curl  of  contempt 
upon  his  lip. 

Thus,  at  least  for  the  time  being,  ended  my  sanguine 
hopes ;  but  as  we  were  leaving  the  Golden  presence, 
the  king,  who  in  his  great  joy  at  the  discovery  of  the 
White  Elephant  evidently  did  not  wish  to  exercise 
severity,  even  toward  a  criminal,  said,  as  if  the 
thought  had  suddenly  occurred  to  him — 

"Stay,  thou  dogs.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  illus- 
trious hunter  the  truth  must  be  known,  when  he  who 
is  deserving  will  be  rewarded,  and  he  who  is  not,  in- 


A   SURPRISE.  SC3 

stantly  punished.  Therefore,  .as  we  would  not  that 
the  sun  should  go  down  without  having  witnessed 
our  readiness  to  show  favor  to  the  brinsrer  of  the 
glorious  news,  let  him  who  is  false  declare  his  false- 
hood, and  he  shall  be  pardoned." 

"This  is  wise,  O  king  and  brother;  but  should  the 
slaves  refuse  thy  magnificent  offer  ?"  said  the  prince. 

"Then  he  who  is  guilty  shall  die  beneath  the  feet 
of  our  elephants  the  moment  after  the  words  of  proof 
have  quitted  the  lips  of  the  Cariau  hunter,"  replied 
the  king,  warmly. 

Now  Naon,  who  had  hitherto  despaired  for  his 
life,  knowing  that  the  decision  of  the  hunter  would 
be  in  my  favor,  and  rejoicing  at  the  opportunity  offer- 
ed him  of  escape,  bent  his  neck  to  the  ground,  and 
confessed  that  on  the  instant  he  had  seen  the  first 
cords  thrown  across  the  White  Elephant,  he  had  re- 
solved upon  carrying  the  news  of  its  capture  to  the 
king,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  the  reward  ;  unfortun- 
ately, however,  for  himself,  quite  ignorant  that  the 
reward  was  due,  not  to  the  person  who  brought  the 
first  intelligence,  but  to  him  who  was  deputed  by  the 
hunter. 

"  This  is  well,"  said  the  king ;  adding,  "  and  the 

dog  merits  punishment;  as,  however,  he  has  our  prom- 

se,  led  him  be  stripped  of  his  robes,  and  sent  from 

the  city,  that  our  eyes  may  not  again  be  darkened  by 

his  villainous  countenance." 

And  Naon,  too  glad  to  escape  upon  such  easy 
terms,  crawled  sideways,  crab-like,  out  of  the  pres- 
ence. 


064:  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT, 

"It  is  now  fitting  that  the  colar  youth  should 
claim  his  own  reward  in  silver,  jewels,  or  land," 
said  the  king,  m  the  exuberance  of  his  gratitude  to 
the  Nats. 

Then  performing  the  shiko,  I  said — 

"It  is  not  silver,  jewels,  or  land  that  is  at  the  heart 
of  thy  servant,  O  king  over  numerous  kings,  and  lord 
of  the  White  Elephant." 

"Truly,  the  youth  is  as  foolish  in  his  modesty  as 
in  his  truthfulness,"  was  the  reply  of  this  unprinci- 
pled chief  of  an  unprincipled  people;  adding,  "yet  it 
is  the  command  of  the  king  that  he  should  claim  a 
reward,  or  the  Nats  will  deem  us  ungrateful,  and 
punish  the  kingdom  by  some  accident  to  the  sacred 
beast  itself." 

Then  I  replied— "The  reward  I  seek,  O  mighty 
king,  is  the  liberty  of  my  friend  the  sahib  John- 
son." 

But,  to  my  astonishment,  his  majesty  arose  from 
his  sofa,  and,  choking  with  indignation,  snatched  up 
a  spear  by  his  side — a  weapon  with  which,  when  very 
angxT»  ne  was  in  the  habit  of  chasing  his  chief  min- 
ister about  the  palace — and  cried  to  the  prince  his 
brother — 

"  Take  the  vile  dog  hence,  or  we  shall  forget  our 
promise,  and  slay  him  upon  the  spot." 

Now,  this  was  very  fine  for  a  king  of  Burmans, 
but  then  I  did  not  value  his  passion  at  one  fig  ;  indeed 
I  have  at  all  times  a  contempt  for  passionate  people. 
Moreover,  I  was  so  indignant  at  his  injustice,  that  I 
should  have  replied  to  his  majesty  rather  pertly,  had 


A   SURPRISE.  365 

not  the  Prince  of  Prome  immediately  led  me  from 
the  presence,  made  me  mount  his  own  elephant,  and 
taken  me  to  his  palace,  Avhere  he  soothed  my  feel- 
ings by  telling  me  that  he  would  take  care  of  me 
until  his  royal  brother's  temper  should  become  suf- 
ficiently calm  for  him  to  again  plead  for  my  friend's 
liberty. 


36 G  the  white  eletiiant. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

an   ENmrr   destroyed   a\d  a  friend  recovered. 

Thus,  as  if  too  good  to  be  punished,  and  not  good 
enough  to  he  rewarded,  I  passed  many  weeks  in  a 
hind  of  honorable  confinement  in  the  palace  of  the 
Prince  of  Prome  ;  meanwhile  remaining  in  profound 
ignorance  as  to  the  real  cause  of  the  king's  violent 
behavior  at  so  moderate  a  request  as  the  release  of 
Mr.  Johnson.  Alas  !  I  had  forgotten  that  while  the 
Maha  Silwa,  that  most  inveterate  enemy  of  the  Eng- 
lish, continued  in  favor  with  the  king,  such  a  thing 
was,  to  say  the  least,  improbable. 

I  have  told  you  that  this  general  had  earnestly 
sought  to  have  the  whole  of  the  European  prisoners 
sacrificed,  by  way  of  propitiating  the  favor  of  the 
Nats  upon  an  expedition  he  was  about  leading  against 
the  English.  Whether,  however,  his  majesty  was 
less  cruel  than  his  minister,  or  really  feared  the 
British  army  too  much  to  comply,  I  know  not ;  cer- 
tain, however,  it  was,  that  the  general  had  to  depart 
with  his  army  without  the  sacrifice  being  granted ; 
and,  moreover,  it  was  said,  with  no  small  decrease  of 
the  favor  of  the  king,  who  was  angry  that,  some  short 


CONCLUSION.  367 

time  before,  when  the  English  had  made  overtures 
for  a  treaty  of  peace,  he  had  permitted  the  Maha 
Silwa  to  reject  it,  and  prolong  the  war."  For  truly," 
said  his  majesty,  "it  is  well  to  be  at  peace  with  these 
colar  rebels ;  for  he  who  is  at  war  with  them  is  in 
the  position  of  a  man  who  has  hold  of  a  tiger  by 
the  tail,  which  he  fears  either  to  hold  or  to  let  go." 

Well,  one  day,  while  the  people  of  Ava  were  in 
the  midst  of  their  preparations  for  the  reception  of 
the  White  Elephant,  whose  arrival  was  now  expected 
daily,  there  came  terrible  news ;  no  less,  indeed,  than 
that  the  army  of  the  Maha,  some  sixteen  thousand 
strong,  had  been  defeated  in  a  great  battle  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Great  River,  and  nearly  all  of  them  either 
bayoneted  or  drowned. 

This  defeat,  of  course,  was  attributed  to  the  cruel, 
but  brave  and  unfortunate  Maha,  who  was  now  hated 
as  much  by  the  king  as  he  had  always  been  by  the 
people  ;  all  of  which,  had  he  been  as  wise  as  he  was 
brave,  he  would  have  anticipated ;  but  no,  still  trust- 
ing to  the  favor  of  his  king,  he  found  his  way  to 
court,  and,  on  his  first  audience,  had  the  indiscretion 
to  beg  for  another  army  to  lead  against  the  English, 
whom  he  promised  to  destroy  that  time  without  fail ; 
but  his  majesty,  now  provoked  beyond  all  patience  at 
his  assurance,  and  angry  with  himself  for  having 
broken  off  the  negotiations  for  peace,  commanded  the 
general's  immediate  execution. 

Savage  as  was  the  nature  of  this  man,  I  could  not 
but  feel  pity  for  his  miserable  fate.  As  soon  as  the 
royal  command  had  gone  forth,  the  Maha  was  drag- 


368  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

ged  from  the  Hall  of  Audience  by  the  hair  of  his  head 
to  the  prison.  On  the  way  he  was  treated  with  the 
most  savage  ferocity  by  the  gaolers  and  executioners, 
who  knew  it  was  safe  thus  to  treat  a  man  who  had 
not  only  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  king,  but 
that  of  the  people ;  so  he  was  stripped  naked,  the 
executioners  disputing  with  each  other  for  different 
parts  of  his  dress,  and  thus  dragged  to  the  prison  from 
whence  after  an  hour's  sojourn,  he  was  driven  at  the 
spear's  point  to  the  place  of  execution,  amidst  the 
jeerings  of  the  populace  ;  and,  indeed,  otherwise  so 
maltreated  that  he  was  nearly  dead  before  suffering 
decapitation. 

Thus  wretchedly  died  the  man  who  had  been  the 
cause  of  so  much  miseiy  to  the  European  prisoners  ; 
and  now  I  hoped  that  the  royal  policy  would  be 
changed  toward  them :  but  for  many  days  after  the 
Maha's  execution  nothing  was  thought  of  in  Ava  but 
the  preparations  for  the  reception  of  the  lord  White 
Elephant.  The  midtitude  flocked  from  all  parts  of 
the  country  to  the  city  to  witness  his  arrival.  His 
lordship's  establishment  was  appointed  under  the 
charge  of  his  principal  officers,  namely,  a  wun,  or 
minister,  a  wun-dauk,  or  deputy-minister,  and  a  sare- 
gyi,  or  secretary  ;  for  the  proper  support  of  all  of 
whom  the  king  assigned  one  of  the  finest  districts  hi 
his  kingdom. 

On  the  day  of  his  arrival,  a  festival,  which  lasted 
three  days,  was  commenced  by  a  great  display  of 
music,  dancing,  and  fireworks;  and  he  entered  the 
Ava  river  through  rows  of  splendidly  decorated  boats, 


CONCLUSION.  309 

fiMed  with  tlie  nobility  in  their  state  dresses,  headed 
by  the  king  and  royal  family,  in  their  golden  boats. 
The  animal  stood  upon  two  large  flat-bottomed  boats 
made  of  teak  wood,  in  a  superb  pavilion,  with  a  roof 
resembling  those  of  the  royal  palaces,  adorned  upon 
every  side  with  gold,  and  draped  with  silk  embroid- 
ered with  the  same  precious  metal,  and  which  was 
towed  by  three  golden  boats  ;  in  the  largest  and  most 
conspicuous  of  which  stood  the  fortunate  hunter, 
Mikee,  attired  in  the  garb  and  wearing  the  golden 
crown  of  a  noble  of  the  second  rank  to  which  he  had 
been  raised  in  honor  of  the  Elephant,  to  whom,  for 
many  days  after  its  entry  into  the  city,  the  most  costly 
presents  continued  to  be  made  by  the  lords,  ministers, 
and  chief  merchants  of  the  empire. 

It  is  a  pity  to  tarnish  this  glittering  description  ; 
yet,  for  truth's  sake,  I  must  tell  you  that  it  was  very 
well  known  that  these  presents  were  more  to  satisfy 
the  avarice  of  the  king  than  to  do  any  especial  honor 
to  his  brute  highness,  the  elephant ;  for  all  these 
magnificent  gifts — and  one  of  them  was  a  vase  of 
gold  weighing  four  hundred  and  eighty  ounces — 
found  their  way  into  the  royal  treasury. 

When  the  elephant  had  been  installed  in  his  palace, 
and  the  festival  had  closed,  Mikee,  in  addition  to  his 
titles — which,  by  the  way,  although  they  delighted 
the  hunter,  were  too  numerous  for  me  to  mention — 
had  conferred  upon  him  a  large  village ;  and,  more- 
over, an  office  in  the  state.  After  which,  the  first 
thought  of  the  grateful  fellow  was  to  make  inquiries 
about  myself  of  the  Prince  of  Prome,  which  were 


870  THE   WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

answered  by  his  highness  bringing  him  to  ray  lodg 
ings  in  his  own  palace.     When,  as  modest  in  great 
ness  as  he  had  been  in  his  peasant  state,  his  only  re- 
ply to  my  warm  congratulations  upon  his  good  fortune 
was — 

"  The  despised  Carian  has  been  fortunate ;  still  the 
merit  belongs  not  to  him,  but  to  the  holy  Brahmin 
and  the  Nats,  who  chose  Mikee  as  they  might  have 
chosen  a  grain  of  rice  out  of  a  field  ;  but,"  he  added, 
"  the  Carian  hunter  can  know  no  pleasure  while  the 
noble  colar  is  unhappy  ;  and  it  is  not  possible  for  his 
generous  heart  to  be  buoyant  while  his  friend  the 
sahib  Johnson  still  remains  in  chains,  expecting  the 
long-threatened  death." 

"This  is  true,"  Mikee ;"  and,  catching  hold  of  his 
arm,  I  added,  "  both  my  fortune  and  my  friend  are 
lost ;  for  the  first  I  care  but  little,  so  that  the  latter 
be  saved.  O  Mikee  !  you  once  promised  not  to  quit 
the  hunting-grounds  until  thou  hadst  done  me  some 
great  service.  It  is  that  service  I  now  require  at 
your  hands." 

"  Mikee  uttered  no  idle  words,  for  they  are  still  en- 
graven upon  his  memory.  It  is  therefore  only  for  the 
noble  colar  to  command  to  be  obeyed." 

"  My  friend  the  sahib  Johnson,  canst  thou  aid  in 
obtaining  his  liberty  ?"  I  replied  ;  adding,  however, 
despairingly,  "but  this  thing  thou  canst  not  perforin, 
O  Mikee ;  for  not  even  his  brother  the  Prince  of  Prome 
could  soften  the  heart  of  the  Golden  Kins:  in  favor  of 
a  European  prisoner." 

"Knows  not  the  noble  colar  that  the  terrible  Mala 


CONCLUSION.  371 

Silwa  has  been  executed  for  his  crimes,  and  that  thus 
one  terrible  influence  over  the  Golden  mind  has  been 
swept  away  ?" 

"  True,  true,  O  Mikee.  The  removal  of  that  tyrant 
gave  me  hope ;  but  the  king  hates  the  Europeans,  and 
loves  their  wealth  too  much  to  restore  the  liberty  of 
the  one  or  resign  the  other." 

Then  having  pondered  for  a  minute,  the  hunter 
said — ■ 

"  It  is  true  the  Golden  King  and  lord  of  many 
elephants  loves  wealth  ;  but  it  is  fortunate  that  it  is 
so,  for  by  wealth  may  the  liberty  of  the  sahib  John- 
son be  obtained." 

"  Alas  !  O  Mikee,  thy  words  are  cruel ;  for  well 
thou  knowest  I  possess  not  one  ounce  of  silver  I 
could  offer  as  my  friend's  ransom." 

"  But  the  noble  colar  claims  the  property  of  his 
late  parent.     Would  he  forego  these  claims  ?" 

"Willingly,  O  Mikee.  But  to  what  purpose  ?  for, 
truly,  the  king  is  so  powerful  that  what  he  has  al- 
ready seized  he  can  retain,  fearing  neither  the  clamor 
of  his  prisoners  nor  that  of  so  humble  a  person  as 
myself." 

"This  is  not  so;  his  majesty  would  make  ptace 
with  the  English,  and  fears  that  he  shall  be  com- 
pelled by  them  to  return  the  property  of  his  prisoners," 
said  lie. 

"  Ah  !"  I  exclaimed,  as  a  light  flashed  across  my 
mind,"  "  thou  hast  already  been  using  thy  influence 
over  the  Golden  Foot,  my  good,  brave,  kind  Mikee," 
said  I j  adding,  "is  it  not  so?" 


372  THE   WHITE   ELT'iniANT. 

Then  taking  me  by  the  hand  after  the  English 
fashion  that  I  had  taught  him,  Mikee  said — 

"  Pardon  thy  servant  that  he  kept  thee  so  long  in 
suspense,  but  he  knew  not  that  even  the  generous 
colar  would  sacrifice  his  all  for  his  friend." 

"  Then  it  is  so ;  you  have  pleaded  before  the  king 
for  my  friend's  liberty,  and  you  have  been  successful?" 
I  said,  with  delight. 

"  After  the  installation  of  the  sacred  Elephant,  it 
was  my  first  duty  to  inquire  for  him  I  may  now  call 
my  friend,  and  from  his  Highness  the  Prince  of  Prome 
I  heard  of  your  unsuccessful  suit,  and  the  anger  of 
the  Golden  Foot,  when  I  vowed  to  Guadama  net  to 
seek  thee  until  I  could  be  the  bearer  of  good  news. 
Then,  at  my  audience  to  receive  honors  from  tke 
king,  instead  of  land  for  myself,  I  claimed,  as  my  re- 
ward, that  the  sahib  Johnson  should  be  set  at  liberty, 
and  to  thee  thy  parent's  property  restored.  The  re- 
quest caused  his  majesty  to  be  seized  with  a  fit  of 
anger;  which,  however,  being  beneath  the  shadsw  of 
my  recent  services,  soon  became  softened,  and  he  con- 
descended to  inform  his  slave  that,  as  the  necessities 
of  the  state  during  the  war  had  swallowed  the  whole 
wealth  of  the  Europeans,  it  was  impossible  that  he 
could  restore  it ;  and,  moreover,  that  he  was  so  fear- 
ful that  the  English  would  make  the  restoration  of 
the  prisoners'  properties  a  condition  of  peace,  t&at  he 
had  determined  to  restore  none  to  liberty  who  w*uld 
not  voluntarily  present  their  property  t©  him  as  a 
free  gift ;  and  thus  can  I  only  offer  thee  the  liberty  of 
thy  friend  upon  condition " 


CONCLUSION.  373 

"  That  I  resign  all  claim  to  iny  father's  property," 
I  said. 

Himself  the  vehicle  of  these  hard,  unjust  conditions, 
Mikee  could  but  bow  an  affirmative.  But  need  I  tell 
von,  ray  reader,  how  gladly,  heartily  I  accepted  them, 
or  with  what  joy  I  shortly  afterward  received  my 
friend  in  the  palace  of  the  Prince  of  Prome,  in  the 
presence  of  his  highness  and  Mikee. 

Although  sadly  altered  in  appearance  from  half 
starvation  and  long  confinement  in  the  miserable 
prison  of  Ava,  he  no  sooner  heard  the  conditions  of 
his  release,  than  he  stoutly  refused  to  accept  it  at 
the  cost  of  my  fortune,  till  the  Prince  of  Prome 
said — 

"  Truly,  the  sahib  Johnson  must  be  possessed  by 
evil  spirits,  who  are  eating  away  his  brains,  for  has 
not  the  young  colar  Oliver  the  friendship  of  the 
brothei',  and  the  now  greatest  friend  of  the  Golden 
Foot." 

"  Pardon,  great  prince ;  but  as  it  would  indeed  be 
ungrateful  of  thy  servant  to  doubt  the  power  and 
goodness  of  such  friends,  he  consents,"  said  Mr. 
Johnson. 

And  with  wisdom;  for  it  had  suddenly  occurred  to 
him  that  the  words  of  his  highness  signified,  what 
really  happened  at  the  termination  of  the  war  between 
the  English  and  the  Burmans,  the  restoration  of 
about  half  the  property  due  to  us  both.  No  bad 
portion,  I  thought,  either,  when  I  remembered  the 
hands  through  which  it  passed,  which  were  even  those 
of  our  good  friend  the  prince  himself,  who,  although 


in  possessii  many  good  qualities,  couiti  not  Handle 

coin  without  a  large  per-centnge  of  it  adhering  to  his 
fingers. 

In  conclusion  I  have  only  to  add  that,  with  the 
remnants  of  our  properties,  Mr.  Johnson  and  myself 
established  ourselves  as  merchants  in  the  capital  city, 
where,  after  twenty  years  of  toil,  losses,  and  gains, 
we  managed  respectively  to  accumulate  sufficient 
money  to  support  us  comfortably  in  our  own  country 
for  the  remainder  of  our  lives. 


THE  END. 


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